Art Space Talk: Michael Kalki

I was introduced to the art of Michael Kalki while interviewing Jan Wentrup- owner of the Galerie Jan Wentrup (www.janwentrup.com).

Mr. Kalki is known for his expressive paintings that involve the relationships of individuals and their combined relationship to the world. Kalki's paintings reveal a world that is socially unconnected. Fragments of bodies and personalities collide within the context of dream-like landscapes. His work conveys a lack of interpersonal communication and the breakdown of society- a conflict between the human condition and the technology of the modern world.

Brian Sherwin: Michael, When did you first discover that art would be an important part of your adult life?

Michael Kalki: I can’t remember when it wasn’t important.

BS: How has society influenced your art? Are there any social implications in your art?

MK: An artwork is "social" in the sense that it needs ( or it exists with...) the viewer, audience. And I think influences go in both ways, as the art reflects society and is part of public interest.

BS: Would you say that these fragmented forms are a reflection of how you view society?

MK: I would say that among other things my paintings have something to do with our life.

BS: So what is the meaning behind it- the fragmented figures? Can you go into further detail?

MK: Other things on my paitings are fragmented too. It has to do with what I want to show and what I don’t want to show. In such way as I paint a special expression of a face. And I’m only interested in this expression and not the whole figure. Distortion is one possibility of appearance and it’s a kind of exaggeration which leads to caricature There is no connection between the fragmented parts on the painting. It’s an encounter of fragments from various realities.

BS: Do you see contemporary society as fragmented... distorted.... as in we allow too many complications to occur in our daily lives?

MK: Yes and it’s beautiful.

BS: Is it your hope that people will see the imperfections of your figures- in their fragmented state- in order to reflect on their own lives?

MK: I don’t see imperfections in my paitings.

BS: In other words, are your paintings a message about 'finding identity'?
MK: It’s more about loosing identity than finding it. But of course I would appreciate it, if my work would have an impact in someone’s life.

BS: Are you influenced by Dada? The fragmented figures and dream-like landscapes remind me of some of the work created by German Dadaist.

MK: I like Max Ernst and John Heartfield.

BS: What other German artists or art movements have influenced your work?

MK: Cranach, Dürer, C.D. Friedrich, Holbein,

BS: On average, how long does it take you to create a piece?

MK: I can’t say, it’s always different.

BS: Can you share some more of your philosophy about art and artistic creation?

MK: Art should be "beautiful" and make you think.

BS: What was your most important exhibition? Care to share that experience?

MK: Every exhibition is important, but the first gallery show was of course a unique experience.

BS: Do you have any 'studio rituals'? As in, do you listen to certain types of music while working? What helps to get you in the mood for working?

MK: No ritual, but Schnitzel and Kaiserschmarrn in one special restaurant close to my studio helps to get a good mood.

BS: Do you have a degree or do you plan to attend school for art? If so, how did it help you as an artist? What can you tell us about the art department that you attended?

MK: I graduated at „Kunstakademie Düsseldorf", Germany in 98, and did postgraduate studies at „Central Academy of Fine Arts Beijing", China from 98 to 2000. The degree fom Düsseldorf helped me to get a grant for China and China was quite an adventure.

BS: Can you share any of the adventures you had while in China? How did that experience influence your art?

MK: It’s difficult to pick one. It influenced my life and therefore my art. I can’t say where those influences are obvious, there’s some of China in my subconscious. But when I send images of my work to my friends in Beijing they always say they would look like a chinese painting.

BS: Why did you choose the medium(s) that you use?

MK: I think it’s difficult to make a painting and I found that always challenging.

BS: If painting is difficult, what drives you to continue painting?

MK: I was discussing that with a friend recently and we came to the conclusion that now it’s just too late for another bright career, maybe.

BS: Where can we see more of your art?

MK: www.janwentrup.com

BS: Any tips for other emerging artists?

MK: Stay focused!

BS: What can you tell our readers about the art scene in Berlin?

MK: Berlin is convenient for artists, because you still find affordable space to live and work and there is a kind of competition, because there’re so many artists from Germany and everywhere living here, and I think that’s good.

BS: I've been told that it is hard for German artists to gain exposure internationally and that it is nearly impossible to do unless the artist is represented by a gallery. Is this true?

MK: I wouldn’t say that it’s harder for German artists but it is complicated without a gallery.

BS: Has politics ever entered your art?

MK: Yes. For example I put the face of Lech Walesa- the polish leader of the Solidarnosc movement in the 80s which was the beginning of the end of the cold war- in one painting.

Mr. Kalki is a very talented painter. I hope that you have enjoyed my interview with him. I'd like to personally thank Jan Wentrup for introducing me to Mr. Kalki.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

Art Space Talk: Lisa Kokin

I observed the art of Lisa Kokin while attending the Bridge Art Fair preview party. Lisa Kokin’s work in mixed media installation, artist’s books, assemblage and sculpture is about memory and history, both personal and collective. Her work has been exhibited in numerous solo and groups exhibitions in the United States and abroad. A recipient of a California Arts Council Individual Artist’s Fellowship and a Eureka Fellowship from the Fleishhacker Foundation, Ms. Kokin’s work is in numerous public and private collections. She is represented by Jenkins Johnson Gallery in New York, and Donna Seager Gallery in San Rafael, California.

(Nineteen SixtyButtons and mixed media, thread, imitation sinew, 81 x 50)

Brian Sherwin: I observed your work at the Bridge Art Fair in Chicago. Can you discuss Nineteen Sixty, a piece that you had on display?

Lisa Kokin: Nineteen Sixty is part of a series of buttonworks that I began several years ago after my father died. I needed a few years to pass after his death to begin to think about how I wanted to pay tribute to him. I began by making a small button head based on a photo. I have been collecting and using buttons in my work for a long time and had always wanted them to play a more important role in my work but until that time I hadn’t known how to do that.

Most of my work begins in an unpremeditated and spontaneous way. I like the mystery of that process. After making a few small portraits of my father I decided to work larger. I liked the increase in scale and the way the process began to resemble painting. I’d be very close to the work sewing the buttons together and the image would be very abstract. Once I backed away several feet, the image crystallized into something recognizable. I liked that interplay. These early pieces led to a series based on old family photographs. After working with other people’s photos for so long it was interesting to take out mine and work from them. Nineteen Sixty is based on a photo of my mother and me on a country road somewhere in upstate New York or New England.

(Passage Buttons and mixed media, imitation sinew, waxed linen, chicken wire)

BS: You use a lot of found materials in your work- photographs, buttons, books, old toys- when did you decide to use such objects in your work?

LK: I was a student at California College of the Arts in Oakland in the late 1980s. I had just gone back to school to finish my undergraduate degree after a hiatus of 13 years during which time I had worked exclusively in batik with political content. At CCA I learned how to make paper. I found I was always trying to age the paper by using tar, dirt, sand and other materials. At some point I decided to give up trying to age something that wasn’t old and just use materials that already had the patina of time built into them. It was a difficult psychological leap for me because I came from a textile tradition which was very labor intensive. I initially felt that I was cheating by using something already made, even though I was aware of Duchamp and the long tradition of artists using found objects. I’ve discovered a way to use found objects in a labor intensive way. I don’t worry about cheating anymore.

(Trophy Sewn found photographs, found text, 9 x 9 x 4-1/2)

BS: I've read that your parents were upholsterers and that as a child you would often play in their shop. Do you think these early memories played a part in your artistic direction? In what other ways did your family influence your artistic growth?

LK: I definitely think that my early family experiences play a large part in my artistic direction. I learned to sew on a machine when I was about eight or nine. I was surrounded by fabric and other sewing items from an early age. While I was still making the batiks I started stuffing and sewing them. That was the beginning of incorporating sewing into my work and I’ve been doing it ever since. I use it as a method of attachment, as a means of embellishment and as a linear element similar to drawing, among other ways.

I grew up a train ride away from Manhattan and my parents took me to museums at an early age. I was fortunate to learn about art by seeing the original works. My parents were politically progressive and we talked about world events at the dinner table. They were very supportive of my decision to be an artist. They sent me to the Art Students’ League on Saturdays. My father got up at an ungodly hour to drive me to the train station, and I would spend the day at class and at museums. I was encouraged and supported every step of the way and for that I am extremely thankful. Also I think that being raised in a secular Jewish tradition contributed to my affinity with those outside the mainstream. This led to the incorporation of political content into my work, which when I was younger took a very literal form and now is more subtle.

(Two Stories About HomeMixed media artist's book/sculpture, 8-1/2 x 15 x 5)

BS: I've also read that you feel a sense of sadness when you purchase old photos for your work- that you feel it should be illegal to own them. Do you feel a sense of guilt when using these photos or do you feel like you are giving new life to the people represented in them? Do you feel a connection with the people in the photos?

LK: At first I felt strange using other people’s memories, just as I felt bad about cutting up my first book. It is an unsettling feeling to be using such personal items that once belonged to anonymous strangers. I have managed to rationalize it by convincing myself that I am in fact giving them new life, although it may not be the life they would have chosen!

I feel a connection with the people whose photos I use in that there is a generic quality to everyone’s photos. I always knew that but it became very clear to me when I pulled out my own family photos to make the buttonworks. We all document birthdays and weddings, we all smile in front of the camera, we all want to remember the places we’ve traveled to by posing in front of interesting backgrounds. A feeling of sadness or melancholy permeates the process, though, because in the last analysis, who wants their most precious memories to end up for sale on a card table at the flea market?

I’ve acquired whole albums of families and once purchased a box containing the personal and professional life of Dick, a man who worked for the phone company in New York in the 1940s through the 1960s. I made several pieces using Dick’s photos and started talking about him to my friends. He became a sort of faux relative, a long-lost uncle. I speculated about the parts of his life that weren’t in the photos, ie., the distinct absence of a wife or children. While working I made up stories about what Dick did after hours.

(Our Kind of FreedomMixed media book collage, 12-3/4 x 9 x 1/2)

BS: You are also known for creating books, though the books you create are not always what they seem. It is as if you have defined what a book can be in your own manner. Your 'books' often address themes which have preoccupied you for many years- loss, the rescuing of memory, cultural and sexual identity, and a critique of the prevailing social values. Care to go into more detail about these issues and the manner in which you create your books?

LK: I started making books while still a graduate student at CCA in 1991. We had an assignment to respond to a fellow student’s work and my response came in the form of a book, Bones Down the Chutes, which was a box of matzohs with "pages" in the form of paper matzohs. In this book I tell a story about my childhood, learning about the Holocaust in Hebrew school, going to Mexico and rejecting my own cultural background for many years, assimilation, and finally the incorporation of my own cultural history as an adult on my own terms. Similar to the buttonworks, this piece seemingly came from nowhere. I had not planned to make a book, but I wanted to tell a very personal story and a book seemed like a good vehicle to do so. After I graduated I continued to make books out of found objects, many of which were about my childhood and family history. I never took a bookmaking class and to this day I don’t know the "right" way to make a book. But I think that helped me to think more creatively about how to put things together and to use materials I might not have otherwise used, everything from rubber, to metal to feminine hygiene products. The books often didn’t look like books, sometimes didn’t even have distinct pages, but they were readable and I thought of them as books. I made this type of book for several years in the early 1990s, then moved on to sculpture and installation. I found, though, that I always returned to books, either between other bodies of work or as distinct bodies of work in and of themselves. Each time the incarnation is different.

I started making altered books from the old books I’d been collecting for years. One of the books I used was a copy of Mein Kampf which I’d bought at a flea market years before. It sat on my bookshelf for years before I decided to cut it up and make four separate altered books out of it.

More recently I began making wall-based book collages by gluing or sewing books open to a particular spread and then using that as a ground for collage. On a trip to Amsterdam last year I came upon boxes of cut-up books that someone had put on the curb on recycling day. I packed up a box of them, took them home and made a series of small book sculptures with them. Currently I am tearing up the entire contents of a book and making small papier mache objects which I then reinsert back into the book. I like the arbitrary way the text gets fragmented and reassembled. These books are of course not readable; they are book sculptures, very abstract, and minimal in their approach but true to my obsessive urges, quite labor intensive. My first one, Useful Drugs, consists of hundreds of tiny balls sewn together with nylon thread and cascading out from the open book. I am excited by the possibilities contained within the medium of the book and want to keep exploring a multitude of ways of using them. I have to keep inventing things to keep myself interested, especially if I am going to spend days wadding up book balls!

I grew up in a house full of books which were revered as almost holy objects. One never dog-eared them, much less took an x-acto knife to them. I love words and reading and the way the print looks on the page. I find it ironic that I eviscerate the very objects that I was taught to hold in utmost esteem.

Content is very important to me. My earlier books were very specifically about my childhood and my life in general. I started out with a theme in mind and then found the materials to make the book. Now I start with the materials more often than not, and see what evolves. Political content often seeps into my work. It is very important to me to not be didactic, to let the process of making the work unfold with me as the facilitator, ie., not to impose my will on it. Not everything has political content, and not everything is serious. In fact, humor plays a very important role in my work. I love puns, I love poking fun at the prevailing values, and I have come to realize that humor makes difficult content more accessible. Humor plays a major role in my life in general so it is fitting that it would also be an important component in my work. It’s a survival mechanism, and also a Jewish tradition, to laugh in the face of adversity. I try to use it whenever I can. When I see someone laughing while reading my books I feel that I have been successful.

(Bisexual Behavior PatternsPhotocopied altered book, 7-1/2 x 6 x 1-1/2)

BS: Where can our readers learn more about your work?

LK: They can go to my website, www.lisakokin.com. I am represented by Jenkins Johnson Gallery in New York and Donna Seager Gallery in San Rafael, CA.

I hope that you have enjoyed my interview with Lisa Kokin. Feel free to leave a comment about her work.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

Art Space Talk: Lisa Holden

I was introduced to the art of Lisa Holden while attending the Art Chicago preview. Lisa Holden is a British-born artist based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Her earlier visual work explores notions of the self as a series of estranged identities-guises adopted and appropriated, and dependent upon context.

Lisa combines digital imagery with hand-painted layers to create 'parallel realities', referring to the exploration of displacement, adoption and the reinvention of identity as a necessity for survival. Holden's large-scale, 'digitally flawed' painting-photographs interpret and react to our super-fast-paced, technologically driven society. The result is the artist's depiction of a psychological spiral into more personal fracturing of identity, multiple transformations, and a more isolated self and society.

New works clearly bear the stamp of Holden's recent interest in Victorian painting and literature in which richly colored fantasies and hallucinations were often opiate-engendered. These influences manifest themselves in images of actual dreamscapes she recalls on waking--in other words, instinctual wishes of a body and mind desiring to get out.

Lisa Holden is represented by Alex Novak of Contemporary Works. http://contemporaryworks.net/

('Gentian' lambda print, dibond)

Brian Sherwin: Lisa, I observed your work at the Art Chicago exhibit. How successful was the exhibit? Was any of your work purchased?

Lisa Holden: It was great to present my work at Art Chicago. I’m based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and have exhibited widely in Europe but until recently hadn’t really shown much in the US.

At Art Chicago people responded really well to the work. Some even said they’d never seen anything quite like it. A couple of people called it ‘intoxicating’. It was great for me to have a chance to meet people and hear their views about the work. And Art Chicago was certainly great for me in terms of sales and contacts.

('Lizard Boy' lambda print dibond)

BS: Having exhibited widely in Europe and now in the States- do you notice a difference in the types of art that is created based on geographics? In other words, what differences do you see in European contemporary art compared to the art that is created in the United States.... or do you think that we, as artists, have reached a point that their is a 'global connection' in the images that we create? A connection... yet unique differences...

LH: I think in many ways art is definitely globally connected. I mean, the Internet is a great resource for me and I discover many other artists through it, although of course can only see their work on screen.

I think there are bound to be differences too, based on cultural and historical backgrounds. The Brits and Americans share similar cultural references to a great extent – there’s a similar interest and grasp of certain styles or pictorial references. In Holland, for instance, Mondriaan, born in 1872, was one of the key figures to shape the art aesthetic in Holland. In Belgium – which was more of an industrialised country, like the UK – Fernand Khnopff was creating Symbolist works more or less parallel to Mondriaan.

The longer I live outside the UK the more I connect with certain cultural aspects like the Gothic imagination in painting and literature. And, of course, in the UK women were very active novelists. Mary Shelley wrote ‘Frankenstein’ after all, so these kinds of images and metaphors were rooted perhaps in a feminine consciousness.

('Reveil' lambda print, dibond)

BS: How would you describe your art to someone who has never seen it before?

LH: The work is photo-based but I wouldn’t really call it photography. I sometimes refer to it as ‘digital photowork’. I originally started as a painter, before moving into performance and video. The images still have a performative quality, I think, I definite narrative thread. And I went from videoing performances to concentrating on still images, many of them taken from video footage of performances. This led to working on the images in the computer – initially to improve brightness and quality. But I rapidly started experimenting with the image itself, adding and subtracting things.

I often use myself as a model, not because the work is about me, more because it’s about non-identity. I can alter my appearance quite easily, and can look quite androgynous, which sometimes comes in handy. I’ve also worked with other people – people I know, not professional models – when I need to capture a specific pose and can’t really do that if I’m the subject because I can’t achieve the angle or position I want.

The raw material is shot using a variety of digital cameras – some video, some still – which is then manipulated in the computer. The compositions are created in a fairly laborious compositing process something like collage. I used to work a lot in collage a lot, but the actual edges of the collage always irritated me. I started using Photoshop because I could layer and combine.

It just started off very playfully. The effects that you can create by tearing paper, and that kind of thing, I found I could do in Photoshop. I combine analogue and digital techniques in the sense that I make a print of a composition, paint or draw on it, then re-photograph it or scan it into the computer where I go on with the image-making process.

I also paint and glaze many of my large images – some as large as 2 metres high. It’s almost obsessive in a way – adding layer upon layer, but I like to handfinish many of my pieces; I think it gives them an extra dimension, an added emotional quality.

('Siren' lambda print dibond)

BS: So do you think that the impact of your work would be less if you used professional models?

LH: I’m not sure. I kind of suspect that they might be too polished and lack a sort of awkwardness that I actually find very interesting. And because I also deconstruct and reconstruct in the computer, I quite like to work with material that is less than perfect. It gives me more space for my own imagination.

BS: Since you use many methods in your creative process do you find yourself in conflict as to which route to pursue during creation- or do you find a form of balance with the materials and selective process?

LH: There’s not really much conflict about how to approach the creative process. I usually make the decisions as I go along, depending on the piece I’m working on and what I think it needs. So, yes, there’s a balance with the materials and selective process.

('Sleeper' lambda print, dibond)

BS: I was recently talking to a few friends about digital art. One of my associates mentioned how digital art is the new photography in that not everyone is accepting of it as a medium yet- kind of like how photography was not taken seriously at one time. Have you noticed this? Have you experienced someone not enjoying your work due to your use of technology? Also, what would you say to people who are not that accepting of it?

LH: Yes, this is definitely an attitude I’ve come across. Because my original background was in painting, and I’ve also worked with video, people advised me to ‘paint the images’ or ‘get back into video’ as these media are considered either more commercially or artistically valid. Someone even commented: ‘who wants to pay for a computer print’ which I thought was a pretty uninformed remark, as most digital work is printed in the same way as a photograph, albeit digitally. And you’d never say that of a photographic print.

Basically, what I say to people who are not accepting of it is that digital art is still new, and is, in my opinion, an ideal medium for addressing today’s world. You could see it as a medium produced by the coupling of military and creative technology, so what could be a better way to produce images reflecting on our fractured society? I think the writer Peter Straub once said of the horror genre that it wasn’t taken seriously when he started out, which was great – it meant the genre was uncharted territory and he could do what he wanted. That’s how I feel about digital image making. It gives me enormous freedom. It’s kind of anarchic and irreverent. I love it!

I have to say that people have never not enjoyed my work because of how it was made. At first they’re wary because it looks different – the palette is quite specific, the depth of the image is not what they’re used to. But if someone is put off because of my use of technology, I don’t try to ‘convert’ them. I’ve been working digitally for nearly ten years, and it’s a medium that allows me to make images I couldn’t make otherwise.

('Thru the Wire' lambda print dibond)

BS: What other motives or thoughts do you convey in your art? What gives you direction?

LH: I’m intrigued by layering imagery and creating depth and body. Working in the computer gives me a way of creating images that would be impossible with other mediums, I think. Drawing on historical references is part of this layering.

Referencing painting also gives me a sense of re-experiencing history and ideas of representation, of inserting myself into the past and appropriating it in some way, of making it mine. Taking historical imagery also opens up ways of investigating ideas relating to history, gender, power and representation.

In many ways, making images is my attempt to understand the world and people around me. I try to take the disjointedness and disconnectedness I think many of us have experienced, and bring it into some kind of balance, if only for a moment.

My work began as an exploration of identity. In this case, my own identity. I was adopted as a baby and brought up in near Liverpool in the north west of England. My birth parents were South African and Austrian. So I was brought up knowing nothing about my biological roots at all and always had a feeling of not really belonging.

Now I live in the Netherlands in a culture quiet different to the UK. Maybe that’s why I’m particularly fascinated by exploring aspects of British culture – Victorian painting, the gothic sensibility, the British imagination.

In the Victorian era the northwest was one of the booming parts of England, though now of course it isn’t. You had this enormous legacy of Victorian money, and the new money wanted a new sort of art. You had people like the Pre-Raphaelites, and you had people like Lord Leighton, people like this painting the image of the woman in various ways. So I grew up surrounded by these images, but I never really liked them. They have a certain cheesy quality. The colours are very dream like, almost hallucinatory.

In England there’s a certain specific sense of the feminine being seen as something to be contained, that can be threatening. It’s a theme that has always interested me, and I started creating a kind of technological dreamscape as a backdrop for me ‘characters’, and images from Victorian painting just started coming into my mind.

I’d kind of been brought up around Pre-Raphaelite and Victorian paintings, but I’d never really looked at it as an adult; I had thought well that’s so tacky, and kitsch, and sentimental. But when I started to actually examine the way the images were built up, and the way that women were represented, I thought it would be nice to play on that; partly because you had so many social and technological changes at the time, which I think mirror some of the changes that we’re going through now, with technologies changing at such a huge rate.

The Victorian era was also a time of great migration, with people going from Ireland and other places to America, in search of a better life. I thought well, maybe it’s a little bit the same situation now. It just seemed a really quite exciting time because there are lots of undercurrents.

('With Cupid and Partridge' lambda print, acrylic glazes, dibond)

BS: Lisa, I understand that you have been back in the studio since the Art Chicago exhibit. You have been working on new pieces. Has the Art Chicago experience influenced this current work? I'm sure you took in a lot of great art and sites while in Chicago.

LH: Art Chicago certainly gave me a lot of energy! Although I was only there for about 4 full days – mostly spent in the art fair itself – I managed to visit the Art Institute. I loved the photography of Saul Leitner I saw there – very lyrical, poignant images that I’d never had a chance to see in real life before. The institute itself is a lovely building, and I also took in the Millennium Park although I’d have like to have spent more time there. Sadly, I didn’t get to see very much of Chicago itself although what I loved the river running through the city and the way the clouds touched the skyscrapers. The architecture – what I saw of it – was very impressive.

At Art Chicago I really enjoyed seeing the AIPAD presentation of Joel Peter Witkin. I also loved his hand-tinted pieces on show with his gallery’s booth. Another artist whose work I enjoyed is Deborah Oropallo – her series of prints ‘Guise’ was fascinating, with its superimposition of scantily clad images of women onto 18th and 17th century paintings of men like Napoleon. It was great to see other work playing with the language of painting and the allure of power created by gesture and pose.

(3 Sleepers)

BS: This new work will be featured in the August edition of 'Eyemazing'. 'Eyemazing' is a leading contemporary fine art photography magazine, conceived and published by Susan Zadeh. Are you excited about the publication?

LH: I think it’s one of the most interesting and well produced photography magazines around. It highlights a wide range of work, all types of photography, and all kinds of photographers from all over the world. I am very excited about appearing in the publication. It’s a great opportunity to reach a big international photo-based audience. And Susan Zadeh is quite remarkable – she puts so much of herself into the magazine, and has such a passion for photography. I think that her personal passion is partly what makes ‘Eyemazing’ so unique and special.

('Reclining' lambda print dibond)

BS: Sounds like a great publication. I've noticed that more and more publications are offering a variety of art instead of focusing on certain 'styles', or what have you. It appears we live in a time that is very accepting of all methods of artistic creation. Would you agree?

LH: I think that things are certainly changing, and people are coming to appreciate a wider range of styles and approaches. I think, in the end, it is the image – the ultimate work – that counts, not the way someone has arrived at it. There’s also been more interest in and respect for digital work.

I hope you have enjoyed learning more about Lisa Holden and her art. Feel free to leave a comment about her work. You can learn more about Lisa by visiting her site:

http://www.lisa-holden.com/

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

Art Space Talk: Michelle Forsyth

I was introduced to the art of Michelle Forsyth while attending the Bridge Art Fair in Chicago. Born in Vancouver BC in 1972, Michelle Forsyth holds an MFA from Rutgers University and a BFA from the University of Victoria. She currently resides in Pullman, Washington where she teaches painting and drawing at Washington State University.

In the studio, she is most concerned with the visceral qualities of the hand-made and the power it holds to counter the potential dehumanization of rapidly transmitted, and publicly consumed images of spectacle.

(Mine Disaster, Cherry, IL, November 13, 1909(Drawing #1 from the 100 Drawings Project)gouache on watercolor paper, 15 x 22 inches, 2005)

Brian Sherwin: I observed your work at the Bridge Art Fair in Chicago- your work was represented by the Hogar Collection. How did the exhibit go for you? I understand that this is not the first time you have been involved with the Bridge Art Fair.

Michelle Forsyth: The fairs this year have been a great experience for me. In Chicago I included six pieces from a current series of work entitled, One Hundred Drawings. The work has been a real departure for me, overall. I wanted to make something that did not rely on the spectacle to give the work its power, yet still draw from a large archive of images of catastrophe and disaster I had been collecting since the late 90’s.

Back in 2005, I took a road trip to the midwest and began documenting what remains at the sites pictured in many of the photographs I had been collecting. I started the project by going to sites in Chicago, so I was particularly excited about having some of the work included in the recent Bridge Art Fair.

Todd Rosenbaum, the director of Hogar Collection, also took some of my work to the Miami Bridge Art Fair last December. That experience opened up a lot of doors for me and the work reached a wide audience.

BS: I viewed Hope Slide at the Bridge Art Fair. Care to tell our readers more about this piece?

MF: Hope Slide (image above) is the ninth piece in the One Hundred Drawings project. The piece depicts a site just outside of Hope, BC (Canada) where an enormous landslide covered the highway on the morning of Saturday, January 9, 1965, burying four people in two cars. The highway now snakes around the foot of the slide and when you go out there you can still clearly see the swath of earth that slid down the mountain.

Most of the sites I have documented have been places that really bear no trace of the events that have occurred at them, but the Hope Slide was different. I was astonished by how visible the evidence really was.

At the base of the slide is a marker commemorating the lives of the victims of the slide. It also lists the names of six people who perished in two separate plane crashes that occurred on the same site. My piece documents a wreath placed at the base of this marker.

So far I have documented twenty of the sites and have finished the first twelve works in the series, but I plan to do one hundred of them, eventually.

(Eastland Disaster, Chicago, IL, July 24, 1915(Drawing #2 from the 100 Drawings Project) gouache on watercolor paper, 15 x 22 inches, 2006)

BS: You have stated that you "use painting, needlepoint and paper-crafts to counter the dehumanization of rapidly transmitted, digital images." Can you go into further detail about that statement?

MF: I consider my work to be a reflection on, and a reaction to, the onslaught of images of suffering in our contemporary world. Peril and demise permeates our daily experience, and viewing dramatic events through the screen of a computer or television can often foster apathetic ways of seeing. I find this deeply disturbing and try to seek out elaborate ways of working in order to slow these kinds of images down.

They do form a starting point for the work, yet I try to build surfaces that are tactile and intimate so that the viewer gets caught up in them a bit. Tedious brush-marks, dramatic stitches of color, barely visible hole-punches, cut-out paper flowers, or diluted layers of watercolor dominate every piece I make in the studio. Sometimes you have to look pretty closely to discover some of the things I have done with them.

(TWA flight 800 crash, East Moriches, Long Island, July 17, 1996(Drawing #3 from the 100 Drawings Project)gouache on watercolor paper, 15 x 22 inches, 2006)

BS: Michelle, you have instructed art at several institutions including Pratt Institute and Washington State University. Are you inspired by your students? I assume that teaching art on the college level is a give-and-take of information...

MF: I currently teach at Washington State University, which is located in eastern Washington. Living out here is a challenge because I am quite far away from any city. For this reason, I tend to form strong connections with my students and try to share as much information with them as I can. I grew up on Vancouver Island and when I was studying at the University of Victoria I was very involved in the art community there. People were eager to help each other and would work together to put up large exhibitions.

I have been thinking a lot lately about how my studio work intersects with my role as a professor and have been trying to come up with ways to get the two to come together more. I enjoy round table discussions and feel that craft practices that engage the community to be quite interesting (ie. the Stitch and Bitch). I have been invited to be a mentor at a residency program in Wells, BC this summer, and to be a visiting artist in residence at the University of Southern Maine in the Spring of 2008 and hope to use these opportunities to experiment a bit with this kind of model.

(MGM Hotel Fire, Las Vegas, NV, November 21, 1980(Drawing #5 from the 100 Drawings Project)gouache and glitter on watercolor paper, 15 x 22 inches, 2006)

BS: You obtained your MFA from Rutgers University. Care to tell us about the art program there? Who did you study under?

MF: Rutgers was a very rewarding experience for me. I worked primarily under Hanneline Røgeberg and Lauren Ewing, both of whom challenged me a lot. I feel that I am just now getting my head around some of the things that they suggested and am finally trying to answer some of the questions they opened up for me. My peers in graduate school were amazing. We had a lot of fun, but we also worked very hard.

(Iroquois Theater Fire, Chicago, Il, December 30, 1903 (Drawing #11 from the 100 Drawings Project) gouache on watercolor paper, 15 x 22 inches, 2007)

BS: Can you go into further detail about how society has influenced your art?

MF: Threatening visions -- from disaster coverage in the media and television shows that rely on individual suffering for entertainment, to violent video games and websites that display images of death -- surround us.

In response, I hope to expose my grief through a compassionate process of translating the images into thousands of tiny, brightly colored brush-marks and glitter. "To grieve," according to Judith Butler, "and to make grief itself into a resource for politics, is not to be resigned to inaction, but it may be understood as the slow process by which we develop a point of identification with suffering itself."

BS: What has been the toughest point for you as far exhibiting or creating art is concerned?

MF: I have always moved around a lot and I have never really felt the desire to set down permanent roots. Although there are many benefits to this kind of flexibility, it is often a challenge to make long term connections. I am too sporadic about keeping in touch with people.

(Iroquois Theater Fire, Chicago, Il, December 30, 1903 (Drawing #11 from the 100 Drawings Project)gouache on watercolor paper, 15 x 22 inches, 2007)

BS: Can you explain some of your artistic process? How do you start a piece?

MF: I spend a great deal of time on-line and I guess that is what really sparks the work. Each piece almost always begins on my computer and is usually generated by some image that I have found on the web. I often have several projects going on at the same time and approach them in various ways.

Probably the most elaborate process that I have been working in is one where I translate the images into tiny fragments of cut paper circles and flowers. Entitled Florescence (Flowers for Iraq), these works depict the individual casualties of Iraqi civilians.

The images are quite brutal, yet I have fractured them into tens of thousands of pieces that become memorials to those that have suffered from the brutal realities of war. Each piece of paper is hand cut and layered with felt and beads and is mounted to the end of a sewing pin.

My paintings often begin with a layer of intricate patterning before an underpainting is laid down in watercolor. Together the pattern and watercolor acts as a guide for me to start building up the surface with sinuous lines of gouache. Each work takes several months to complete.

(Second Narrows Bridge Collapse, Vancouver, BC, June 17, 1958 (Drawing #10 from the 100 Drawings Project) gouache on watercolor paper, 15 x 22 inches, 2007)

BS: Where can we see more of your art?

MF: I will have two upcoming solo exhibitions. One at Hogar Collection in Brooklyn this September and one at Deluge Contemporary Art in Victoria, BC in January 2008. I will also have a cut-paper installation piece at the Jundt Art Museum this August, and you can see my work online at www.michelleforsyth.com.

BS: Where do you see your direction of work going next? Care to reveal any of your plans?

MF: I just received a grant from the Canada Council to continue my work documenting sites in eastern Canada so I am definitely going to continue working on that project, however I am making the newer pieces much larger in scale.

Because I am enamored by complexity and detail, as well as by extremely elaborate methodologies, I also think I may try to make the works more layered or mottled in their surface treatment.

(Railway Wreck, Bayonne, NJ, September 15, 1958(Drawing #7 from the 100 Drawings Project)gouache on watercolor paper, 15 x 22 inches, 2006)

BS: Finally, is there anything else you would like to say about your art or the 'art world'?

MF: I feel that it is intrinsically American to use horrific stories of death and destruction for entertainment purposes. According to Jean Baudrillard, "the countless disaster movies bear witness to this fantasy, which clearly attempt to exorcize with images, drowning out the whole thing with special effects." As I find myself confronted by this onslaught, I mourn our tolerance of violence in the media and our inability to express a sense of vulnerability.

I hope that you have enjoyed learning about Michelle Forsyth and her art. Feel free to critique or discuss her work.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

Gallery Space Talk: Sara Nightingale Gallery

(Sara Nightingale)

The Mission of the Sara Nightingale Gallery is to be a leader in the exhibition of significant and challenging contemporary art, with an emphasis on emerging artists. The gallery encourages experimentation, diversity, innovation, dialogue and risk in new art of all mediums. It seeks to enhance the careers of its artists by exposing them to new markets and opportunities. The gallery was founded in 1998 and has been participating in art fairs since 2001

Sara Nightingale Gallery

688 Montauk Highway

P.O Box 1061 Water Mill, NY 11976

631-726 0076

www.saranightingale.com

(Section of the Sara Nightingale Gallery with paintings by Eric Dever)

Brian Sherwin: You are the director of the Sara Nightingale Gallery. When was the gallery established? What is the mission of your gallery?

Sara Nightingale: The gallery was established in 1998. The mission of the gallery is to be a leader in the exhibition of significant and challenging contemporary art, with an emphasis on emerging artists. The gallery encourages experimentation, diversity, innovation, dialogue and risk in new art of all mediums. It seeks to develop the careers of its artists by exposing them to new markets and opportunities.

(Annie Wharton with Sara Nightingale at ArtLA- 2006)

BS: Why did you decide to become a gallery director? Are you an artist yourself? How did you get involved with the arts?

SN: It's hard for me to answer how I got to this place exactly. Now that I'm here with my own gallery it just seems like all of my life's experiences were a path that led to this. I used to dabble in producing art, but now that I'm a gallerist, there is no time for that. I get so excited by curating, bringing artists together and overseeing installations that this really satisfies my creative urge.

(Gallery Installation of Melanie Fischer with Sue McNally paintings)

BS: What is your personal philosophy about art and artistic creation? What makes an artist an artist?

SN: Well, fortunately, there have been many philosophers who have tried to define art and the creative process. The truth is, though, we are all still searching for the answers to these kinds of questions. Every time I open a new show, I hope that I am coming a little bit closer to understanding the truth about art, artists, culture and the human condition.

When I select artists to exhibit I do look for certain qualities in the artists themselves (beyond just examining the work). I like to see that they are dedicated, intelligent, asking questions all the time, and trying new things. Of course the work must have a unique voice, so the artist must be mature enough to know how to both utilize and eschew the influences of other artists. John Lahr, writing a review in the New Yorker of Mercedes Rhuel's turn as Peggy Guggenheim in "Woman Before a Glass", wrote: "The character must somehow bring news- both of society and of the self". I circled this sentence and refer to it often when I am looking for new art. In my case, of course, the "character" is the work of art. That (the art object) "must somehow bring news" is something I strive for when selecting art.

(Sara Nightingale selling at ArtLA- 2006)

BS: It often seems that many artists are not aware of the business side of art. Do you have any suggestions for an artist who wishes to learn more about the marketing side of the business that is art?

SN: Oh how I wish we could all take the money out of art....(though I realize there are many who do not feel the same way; just look at this past week's auction results!). However, the business side of art is essential to the production mechanism. In fact, I sometimes think that the collector is the most valuable cog in the wheel that is the art machine. Without him it would all come to a grinding halt. Or only people with trust funds would be able to produce and display art. So....for artists to gain business acumen? Knowledge is the first tool. Get out and talk to people, learn about the art world, read, go to shows. The more you know and the more people you meet, the better you will understand the business side of things and how it all works. This, however, will keep you away from the hard work and long hours that you need to be putting in at your studio. So I would advise that you focus on the actual work and getting a good solid body together before you begin to approach galleries. Then, once you begin showing and getting your work seen, be careful about which galleries you work with and don't be all over the place if you actually care to establish a viable market. Remember, of course, that the art world is constantly in flux. One minute there is a gallery system, the next artists will be selling directly on ebay and that will be the new, hip thing to do. Always be ready to throw everything you know away and try something completely outside of the box. The white box, that is.

(Sara Nightingale with Melanie Fischer installation)

BS: What can you tell our readers about the artists you represent?

SN: I have been extremely lucky to have worked with an extraordinary group of artists. Everyone I work with has the traits I mentioned above: dedication, talent, etc... and I especially enjoy watching artists in my stable appreciating and respecting each other's work. Each individual in the gallery contributes to the overall success of the "family", which is how I like to think of my gallery, with me as the Mom. (Let's just hope I don't turn into the Grandma.) But to name a few people who have been extremely important in bringing the gallery to where it is now: Rachel Owens, who did an amazing job with her ScopeNY05 installation, Elizabeth Huey, who recommended Sarah Trigg (both are fantastic), Joseph Hart and Ryan Wallace (recommended by the talented Hilary Schaffner), Malin Abrahamsson, Rebecca Miller, Josh Peters and Jeremy Wagner. Look these people up on the internet and get inspired! Each has a unique voice and is embarking on an adventurous artistic
journey.

BS: What kind of message do you want the art in your gallery to have? Is there a certain direction that you look for?

SN: The message may be purely formal, or it may be articulated by an accompanying statement. Sometimes it is solely up to the viewer to provide the message. Hopefully it is a dialogue between the artist and the viewer, though they may never meet each other. The gallery is a "mini think tank", where a variety of ideas are shuffled around, dissected and displayed. What are "appropriate" ideas for messages in art? Well...let's refer back to that John Lahr quote: "The (art object) must somehow bring news". It would be impossible to define "news". Death, consumption, ambiguity of authorship, global warming, the disaffection with the American Dream, Suburban sprawl, loneliness, non-belonging, the catastrophic global landscape condensed and transformed by the media, environmental "happy places", the street.....all of these have been themes in recent shows at the gallery. I'd like to do a show about religion (because I think it's funny that very few art world people are religious, despite the fact that religious institutions patronized art for centuries).

(Sara Nightingale- Water Mill 2007)

BS: Do you have any advice for emerging or established artists who would like to exhibit at your gallery?

SN: If you truly love the other work that I show, and you really believe in yourself, then get in line.

BS: What was the most important exhibition you've been involved with? Care to share that experience?

SN: What's the definition of important? My goal is to inspire my community. I haven't done any outside curating (yet), though I have juried shows. So it would have to be something I've organized here (in the gallery). I've had a string of excellent shows here, thanks to the hard work of the artists. And I've been fortunate to have been in the presence of some incredible artworks. Andrew Schoultz's, Cataclysmic Proliferation, comes to mind. It later traveled to Track 16 Gallery in LA and then onto Jonathan Levine in New York. Nicola Verlato's, Mothers, was another amazing painting, which could render one speechless. That was brought to my attention by David Hunt, who curated a show here in 2005. I could go on and on naming really amazing works that have shown here. Jeremy Wagner's, Hotel Everybody, for example. I could have just eaten that up!

BS: If you could pinpoint the characteristics of people who buy art from the Sara Nightingale Gallery, what would they be?

SN: I must brag here: my clients are the best of the best. I don't show "named" artists here, so my clients have to have confidence, charisma, risk taking characteristics, and just love art for all the right reasons. Maybe it's a good investment or maybe it's not. They are buying interesting, unique works of art for great prices....but in the Hamptons, it's often easier to sell expensive work that has a name attached...or just expensive enough where the client thinks it's valuable because of its price. If I were a collector, I'd buy from me, because people are getting great deals here on really strong work that is still a good value because the artists are young in their careers.

BS: As a gallery director, what trends do you see in the art world? What is hot at the moment?

SN: Well, of course, there's China. I personally love the Japanese artists. There's the Goth trend....gothic sculpture such as the work by Terence Koh and Banks Violet. The lowbrow/ Juxtapoz aesthetic is pretty hot. Jonathan Levine and Merry Kranowski are showing these artists. But I also like the alternate spaces, such as Giant Robot, which are integrating skate culture and product development with fine art. The whole psychedelic, graff drawing thing is hot as well. In general, it's pretty pluralistic out there. That's one of the great things that postmodernism did.... it allowed for a general "anything goes" attitude. It's all been done before anyway...so let's mash it up and rehash it. This is happening in music as well. Appropriation is all over the place, especially in the dj culture. While there are stylistic trends.....for example, abstraction was really out for a while...I think to segregate art stylistically is ridiculous. Art can be good or bad regardless of whether or not you like the style. Who gets to decide whether it's good or bad? It shouldn't be up to the market. I guess everyone gets to decide for himself.

BS: What can you tell the readers about the art scene in your area?

SN: I'm in the Hamptons, so there is a lot of history here. Everyone is always trying to create the buzz that's there's a resurgence, a renaissance out here. And I must say, with Scope coming here and the myriad new galleries springing up, and art in general becoming more of a mainstream pastime, it's probably true.

BS: Do you have a website for your gallery?

SN: www.saranightingale.com

BS: Is there anything else you would like to say about the Sara Nightingale Gallery or the "art world"?

SN: It's all about the present tense (if you're in the contemporary sector) and the process. And having good values and principles and applying them to your daily work.

I hope you that you have enjoyed reading about Sara Nightingale and her gallery. Be sure to visit the gallery website.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

Art Space Talk: Sabrina Small

I was introduced to the art of Sabrina Small while attending the Bridge Art Fair preview party. Before moving to Berlin, Germany in September of 2002, Small made her home in Sarasota, Florida. She has exhibited extensively throughout the state of Florida, as well as in San Francisco, New York, London, Budapest and Berlin.

While her earlier work is mainly painted on wood and paper, Small recently began experimenting with hand stitchings on material such as felt, velvet and wearable fabric.

(Brain Bubble, No. 1 - watercolor and ink on paper)

Brian Sherwin: Sabrina, I observed your art during the Preview Party at the Bridge Art Fair in Chicago. How did the exhibit go for you? Is this your first time being involved the Bridge Art Fair?

Sabrina Small: How did I do? Well, no sales, though according to my gallerist, the response to the work was positive - that's always good.

I have to say that my feeling for art fairs is a mixed one. There's been an explosion in the art market over the past five to ten years, with art fairs popping up in every major city. On the one hand, I think it's great that so many people are interested in viewing art and that the opportunities for artists to exhibit their work and have it available to the greater public have increased. And, of course, I like the idea that such a wide audience can view my own work. But is it possible that there's simply too much work out there; too many objects; an over-supply, so to speak, of art? I certainly don't want to discourage anyone from making art or expressing themselves, but with this overabundance of "things" and the multitudes of possibilities to view and consume them (and obviously this speaks about more than art), how can anything make an impression after a while? The impact diminishes, in my view, and in the end I have a tendency - in particular at the art fairs - to check my memories at the exit-door before leaving.

However, despite my frustrations and inner battles concerning the significance of my own work in the larger scheme of things, the need to create, which is quite basic, seems to persist. What to do, what to do...?

And yes, this was my first time showing at the Bridge Art Fair in Chicago.

(Brain Bubble, No. 2 - watercolor and ink on paper)

BS: I remember that many people commented on how art fairs are becoming the 'gallery of tomorrow' when I attended the previews for Scope and Pulse in New York. It seems that some people feel that the old gallery system is becoming old-hat. If it does become common for galleries to focus more on fair participation than exhibiting in their own spaces, what will you do? Can you see that happening? Do you think the burst of creative life that comes from major art fairs could eventually become a process of decay for public interest in art if galleries grow to depend on them on a regular basis?

SS: Good question. I definitely see the presence of art fairs increasing over the years and it is possible that rather than art lovers visiting gallery spaces once a month or so, they'll replace that experience with a yearly visit to Art Basel, for example. But there is something intimate about going to an actual gallery (a space where the viewer is able to focus on one artist or even a group of artists and not be bombarded by a mass of other objects - or people, by the way), that can't be denied. For sure the viewer who only knows the art-viewing-experience through art fairs, will in my mind miss-out immensely.

(Impostor - watercolor and ink on paper)

BS: You decided to move to Berlin in September of 2002. Why did you make that choice? Has living in Germany given you better direction with your work?

SS: Actually, my intention was to live in Copenhagen, a decision based on my fascination with Lars von Trier films and all things Scandinavian. My stay there, however, only lasted about six weeks before a friend came to visit (my boyfriend at the time, who quickly became my ex-boyfriend and is now one of my best friends) and convinced me that Berlin was the place to be. So we hopped on a train and a few hours later found ourselves in Berlin: The Land of Currywurst and Doener Kebabs, among other things.

Needless to say, I fell instantly in love. Berlin in its own special way is THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY all wrapped in one, and is unlike any place I've ever lived. The winters are difficult, to say the least, but when spring and summertime come around, you wouldn't want to be anyplace else.

As far as Germany giving me a better direction for my work - well, it's certainly made its mark - and I suspect will continue to influence my work as the years go on.

(Doppelganger - watercolor and ink on paper )

BS: I've been told that studio space in Berlin is extremely inexpensive compared to lofts and other studio spaces in the States. Is that true? Having lived in Germany do you think it is cheaper for an artist to get by compared to other art hubs of the world?

SS: Other than Mexico City, Berlin must be one of the least expensive and exciting cities for an artist to live today. Of course, there are less expensive cities in the world, but for an artist, it can't be beat. I've been here for almost five years now, and in this time have seen a huge flood of foreign artists of all disciplines moving in and making this their home. New York, London, Tokyo and Paris are all incredible cities, but if you don't want to live and work out of a box, I'm not sure where else you can be.

(Inside Out - watercolor and ink on paper)

BS: Most of your earlier works are on wood and paper, though now it seems you're doing more with stitching. Why did you decide to change your creative process?

SS: Actually, I'm still working on wood and paper and have been working on the hand-stitchings for several years now, though it's true - the stitchings are more prevalent now than in the past. I guess I think of all of my works as drawings. The themes may vary, but technically speaking, they're all very much about line.

BS: So in other words you don't see it as a change in creative process but as a form of your creative evolution?

SS: When I'm always working with the same medium, I have a tendency to get bored. The creative process is quite different when I'm stitching as opposed to drawing, for example. It's a much slower and more thoughtful process, and at certain times exactly what I need. Also, when I'm feeling stuck and having difficulty coming up with new ideas, a change in medium often helps.

(Who's Who - handstitched drawing on black felt)

BS: Two of the pieces presented at the Bridge Art Fair were hand-stitched drawings inspired by the ˜Black Block"; a direct-action group alive and well in the Berlin district of Kreuzberg. This group of hooded-leftists, clothed in black from head to toe, appear regularly on the streets of Berlin often as part of larger demonstrations in the fight against neo-naziism, social cutbacks, and the revocation of civil rights (to name just a few causes), and are known to use props such as fireworks, paint-filled eggs and bricks to help get their points across. How did you become involved with the ˜Black Block"? Why are they an inspiration for you?

SS: Normally I'm not one to make politically-themed work, but after first discovering the ˜Black Block" a few years ago at a May Day demo in Kreuzberg, I couldn't help myself. When you see them marching - this magnificent field of black! - it's an incredible sight to behold. I'd never seen or heard of them before and naturally was quite impressed. Their bravery is an inspiration to me, in their constant fight for the rights of others, and although I may not always agree with their methods or what they're fighting for (or against), I support their existence and believe it's important that they're a part of the demonstrations."

BS: I've never heard of them before... I did some quick research. Do you run the risk of arrest by being associated with them?

SS: I'm not exactly involved with them, but rather view them from a distance. For sure if I were in the front line, I would run a risk of arrest or worse perhaps. I was caught in the line-of-fire only once at a demonstration and was hit by the yolk of a colored egg meant for a cop. Misdirected fire.

(Making Contact - handstitched drawing on black felt)

BS: Sabrina, when did you first discover that art would be an important part of your life? Care to share any early memories?
SS: Well I seem to recall quite early on, drawing on whatever I could find - especially in our basement: the walls, the hot-water heater, the doors to my parents' cedar-closet where they stored all their winter clothes and the things they never seemed to wear. Nothing's really changed. I'm still painting on the walls, though rather than getting a scolding for it, my parents praise me. :)

BS: Can you share some of your philosophy about art and artistic creation?

SS: When I'm not pulling my hair out or staring holes in the wall (that's part of the artistic process), making art can be the best form of meditation I know. It's the glue, so to speak, for my thoughts.

As far as my philosophy is concerned - well, I try to focus on creating work that excites me and not spend too much energy thinking about what will sell or what's hip at the moment (technically or thematically speaking). By the time you figure that out, the art world will have moved on to something else. And anyway, everything seems to come back. It's all, in my mind, a regurgitation of the past. There's a good chance that whatever I'm making at the moment will at some point be relevant - if not now than in the future perhaps. We shall see.

(Happy Dream - watercolor on paper)

BS: Would you say that many artists are only concerned with what will sell? I know you mentioned that a lot of the art fairs seem to be showing the same type of art by different artists in your opinion.

SS: It's not so much that they're showing the same type of art, but that there's just so much of it, and as a result the brain has a tendency to meld it all together as a means of retaining the information, and then it all begins to look the same: like one massive piece of art.

As far as artists having their main concern being the sale of their work: well, I believe it's a rather new phenomenon that artists art able to support themselves through their art. And still, most artists don't. I suppose the more successful one becomes, the more of an issue it is.

(Elephant - watercolor on paper)

BS: Do you have any studio rituals? As in, do you listen to certain types of music while working? What helps to get you in the mood for working?

SS: I usually make a pot of tea and turn on the radio to the BBC. NPR just started broadcasting in Berlin, which has been a nice change and has made me feel a bit more at home. My musical taste is vast so it's difficult to say what I listen to, but because I'm playing a lot of vinyl (the only way to truly hear music!), most of it's quite old. I just bought an old album at the flea market called SOUL MAKOSSA by a guy called Manu Dibango. It's circa 1972 and is what you'd call "Black Ivory Soul". Very funky shit!

BS: How do you deal with "creative block", so to speak? Are there times when you become frustrated with your work? How do you overcome it?

SS: I think as an artist, you have to accept these times and look at them as an opportunity to focus on something else for a while. We're not "art factories", cranking the stuff out like cookies or sausages. Of course, the pressures of the market don't always allow for that. In the moment that the bulk of your focus weighs heavier on the market and you think of your work as merely a product or commodity that you can't seem to churn out fast enough, I think it can become a real problem, poisoning the art and the creative process in general. "Creative block", in my mind, is a manufactured idea that has more to do with competition and outside pressures than the inability to actually create.

(Unraveling - watercolor on paper)

BS: Has your work ever been censored? If so, how did you deal with it?

SS: Not yet, but I'm hoping one day!

BS: Why do you hope for that?

SS: Let me rephrase that. It's not that I support censorship and would certainly NOT like to be living under a fascist regime that dictates what I can and cannot make. However, the idea that my work could generate so much of a stir as to have it be under consideration for censorship is an interesting idea. If it's a threat to the State, then there must be something relevant in it's content.

BS: Sabrina, what was the toughest point in your career as an artist? Have you ever hit rock-bottom?

SS: Hmm, rock-bottom? Well, not exactly. My main struggle, I suppose, is to keep the work fresh - not only for myself but also for others - and not continuously reproduce the same old themes; a constant challenge, for sure. I like the idea of surprising myself and always discovering something new in the art, or at least making an effort to do so. If I can't be inspired by the art, how can I expect anyone else to be?

BS: Where can our readers view more of your work? Do you have a website? Are you represented by a gallery?

SS: My website is: www.sabrinasmall.com.

My gallery in Sarasota, Florida (Greene Contemporary) is also a good way to view my work: www.greenecontemporary.com.

They'll be exhibiting my drawings at Scope Hamptons this summer.

In addition to Greene Contemporary, I'm also represented by Raab Galerie in Berlin and Deck-Galerie fuer Aktuelle Kunst in Stuttgart.

Exhibition listings:

Raab Galerie, Traum - Opening June 5, 2007 www.raab-galerie.de.

Deck Galerie, Dort rastet die Lilith - Opening, June 29th, 2007 www.deck-galerie.de.

I hope that you have enjoyed my interview with Sabrina Small. Feel free to critique or discuss her art.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

Art Space Talk: Ted Stanuga

I met Ted Stanuga at the Artists Project exhibit in Chicago. Ted is known for creating. Ted has said the following about his paintings: "Intention is reasoned anticipation. In facing the infinity of the blank canvas fear supplants intention, and anxiety produces the energy to move against the resulting inertia.' Marks are made and removed, images surface and are removed, replaced with new ones we cannot see. Lines are made that cannot be seen because they have been pulverized by light. Color, tone and rhythm are created, changed and reapplied in a dance off between need and intention. When you finally let go of enough, it emerges."

Q. I observed your work at the Artists Project exhibit in Chicago. How did the exhibit go for you?

A. "It was a wonderful opportunity to meet artist's, gallerists, and museum people, sales were slow."

Q. When did you first discover that art would be an important part of your adult life?

A. "Very early in life, 4th grade I think. Each day we would get an hour to draw while the teacher played music, and that experience changed my life."

Q. How has society influenced your art? Are there any social implications in your art?

A. "I think to work every day in and dedicate oneself to art is itself a monumental political statement. The choices we make at every level can be defined as political, and I am quite concious of that as I work. The first job I had as a 15 year old was picking cucumbers with the Mexican fruitpickers in the Imperial Valley, way south in California. That experience has tipped my politics left ever since."

Q. Can you share some of your philosophy about art and artistic creation?

A. "Yes. Since I value the mimetic in life and disdain the didactic, art that includes the viewer in a way that he or she can continually find his or her self in the work is the experience I am after. Confronted with the blank canvas I submit to that anxiety and give the resultant energy voice to move against inertia. Marks are made and removed, some are left that you cannot see because they have been pulverised by light. Images emerge and are taken out and eventually, something emerges with enough history to stand."

Q. What was your most important exhibition? Care to share that experience?

A. "I had some prints early on at the Brooklyn Print Biennial, and it was at that time I knew that my work would be looked at seriously."

Q. Do you have any 'studio rituals'? As in, do you listen to certain types of music while working? What helps to get you in the mood for working?

A. "I would say they are habits not rituals, and Jazz is what I listen to 90% of the time when I listen to music in the studio. However, the great majority of the time the studio is very quiet."

Q. If you could pinpoint the characteristics of people who collect your art, what would they be?

A. "People that read and tend to be verbal. Jungians not Freudians."

Q. Discuss one of your pieces. What were you thinking when you created it?

A. "The easiest one to do that with is "Swamp JuJu for the Crescent City" which was begun during the flood of New Orleans after Katrina hit. JuJu is magic stuff one carries for protection, and I was trying to make a talisman that would help them somehow. Its the only work like that I have ever done, and am not at all mystically directed or religious. I just had to do something with the feelings I was having about the travesty/tragedy. I then thought it might get donated to an auction for the city and help those in the 9th ward, but I found out that very few people around here know that the Crescent City is what New Orleans is known as, so the piece made little sense to anyone, except children can see animals in it."

Q. Do you have a degree or do you plan to attend school for art? If so, how did it help you as an artist? What can you tell us about the art department that you attended?

A. "I attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, no degree."

Q. Why did you choose the medium(s) that you use?

A. "They chose me early on, and became acutally an extension of my hands."

Q.Where can we see more of your art?

A. "I have several shows coming up. The next one: Call and Response is a show of watercolors that were done by myself and another artist working on the same sheets. It will be at Common Ground, Grace and Clark, May 29-June 30. Also keep up with me at www.myspace.com/tedstanuga, www.stanuga.com."

Q. What galleries have you exhibited in? Can you provide links to their sites?

A. "All of the galleries I have exhibited in no longer exist. They include Dart Gallery Chicago, Karen Lennox Gallery, Chicago, Lannon Cole Chicago, Missouri Gallery Chicago. I have also shown at the MOCA Chicago, San Francisico, and the Brooklyn Museum."

Q. What trends do you see in the 'art world'?

A. "Artists are finding their way back to each other. More work is getting done. The explosion of technocommunication is changing the nature of how art is sold, shown, transported and talked about. A new thing is emerging and I for one am not sure what it is. A nice place to be really."

Q. Any tips for emerging artists?

A. "Pack your lunch box, go to the studio, turn off the phone, and go to work."

Q. Has your work ever been censored? If so, how did you deal with it?

A. "Once a long time ago. It was figurative and had a semi rigid penis. There were childrens groups coming to the show that I did not know about, so no big deal."

Q. What was the toughest point in your career as an artist? Have you ever hit rock-bottom?

A. "Yes. I dont like to talk much about it, but I am just coming out of a period like that where one chooses to pay the storage bill and live under a bridge. Awful."

Q. In one sentence... why do you create art?

A. "I love the idea of someone getting pleasure from something I have made with my hands."

Q. What can you tell our readers about the art scene in your area?

A. "Chicago is jumping right now and this is after a long quiet spell. There was a noose around its neck for the longest time, but with the work of several tenacious and courageous souls the doors have been blown off the asylum, and there is great art and artists surfacing everywhere. Theses artists may leave Chicago but you will be suprised by how many in this next generation began here."

Q. Has politics ever entered your art?

A. "Its in everyhing I do from cooking to painting."

Q. Does religion, faith, or the lack thereof play a part in your art?

A. "I am an athiest so I suppose it too is in everything."

Q. Is there anything else you would like to say about your art or the 'art world'?

A. "That its diffiucult, with objectives constantly trying to blurr. Stay clear and do the work."

I hope that you have enjoyed learning more about Ted Stanuga. Feel free to critique or discuss his art.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

Art Space Talk: Tanya Gramatikova

I recently discovered the work of Tanya Gramatikova. Tanya is from Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Tanya's photography is strongly focused on the human condition. "I think the most difficult to describe -and most provoking for me -are people... the expression of inner depth and desires."

There was a language barrier with this interview. It serves as an example of how myartspace.com is reaching out to artists throughout the world.


Q. When did you discover that art would be an important part of your adult life?

A. "I never made a decision. It just happened. I do believe that creativity is a complex process that evolves with time. It depends on your start (upbringing), the influences that affect you, and most important maybe, your inner sensitivity. Then something strikes you that makes you bring out what you've already accumulated..."


Q. Has society influnced your art? What are the social implications in your art?

A. "Art is always influenced by society. If we trace back into art history, every new cultural and artistic movement emerges in relation with specific social and political changes. So in a general sense, yes-I'm part of our society, even though in my work I do not focus on socially engaged themes. Perhaps I must point out my interest in the lives of ethnic minorities. But still I haven't elaborated that topic and the accent is rather on their ethnic colour."

Q. On average, how long does it take to create a piece? Can you share your philosophy about art and artistic creation?

A. "The very act of creation is the easiest part. However, the evolution of ideas requires time ,and let's say, the chance-something happens that strongly echoes in you and then you just follow your intuition ... I work especially with models and do consider the good vision very important. However it is not enough...Their personal presence is very important so maybe the most difficult part is to make them trust me, to provoke in them the essence of their emotional world. Sometimes it is deeply suppressed under superficial conduct."

Q. Has your art ever been published? What prizes have you won?

A. "So far I took part in several BG contests and was nominated for their final exhibitions: "Photography salloon Varna"' 2006, "Photograph of the year-Canon BG" 2006, "Biennale Phodar" 2007. Prizes: Annual Serbin Photography Contest-First Place for colour photography and honorable mention- 2006 ;16th Trierenberg Super Circuit,2007 -Gold medal in special themes category, portrait category.

I have presentations in some online magazines: "Underground Voices", "Liberaeva" and two print magazines, as well as photographic sites and many blogs. Also maybe I should mention my participation in the conceptual album "View of Life" of the russian photographic forum "photosight.ru "and the 17th "Nude" exhibition of the bulgarian forum" photo-forum.net" in the art gallery "Paris",Sofia."

Q. Do you have studio rituals? As in ,do you listen to certain types of music while working? What helps you get in the mood for working?

A. "I'm contemplative as a person and music is a kind of "mantra' for me. It helps me fall into that special state of mind and makes my senses more subtle.Yes, I always listen to music whenever possible."

Q. Where can we see more of your art?

A. "I do not have an official website. I would love to find gallery representation. "

Q. Why did you choose the medium you use?

A. "Photography is painting with light. I do a lot of digital manipulation in my works. In my younger age I used to paint. However, my family encouraged me to receive a more practical education. I graduated from the English Language School, Blagoevgrad, and later entered the economic department of Sofia University "Kliment Ohridski".

During my university education I started realising that it was not what I wanted to do with my life- though I still had no idea what I wanted to do. Then I had my first photosessions as a model for an artist. Eventually I proceeded on the other side of the camera..."

Q. Any tips for other emerging artists?

A. "I can't escape cliche' but it is very important to throw yourself totally in what you do-you must feel the subject, make its energy pulse with yours, make it follow you...of course, good technical skills and education are very important."

Q. In one sentence: Why do you create art?

A. "It is an inner necessity for aesthetics, to express myself, it is a way to seek answers of many questions to which cannot be given rational ones..."

Q. What has been the toughest point in yor career as an artist? Have you ever hit rock-bottom?

A. "Maybe the disapproval and the strong reaction of my parents to the abrupt discourse in my ambitions..."

Q. Has politics ever entered your art?

A. "No. I try to stay away from it."

Q. What can you tell our readers about the art scene in your area?

A. "In Bulgaria art is in a deep crisis along with other spheres of public life. The politicians of our country poorly finance the cultural sector- as a result "pseudoculture" emerges- "chalga" we have for it- a very distasteful mixture of modern and folk trends with no aesthetic values. So people's taste and need for culture is gradually dislocated in the wrong direction.

Many bulgarian artists emigrate and look for realisation in the countries where the social status of artists is on a much higher level... Otherwise Bulgaria as one of the most ancient countries on the Balkan Peninsula and has strong cultural traditions- very specific ones for that region, related with our history and the spirit of the Bulgarians."

Feel free to leave a comment about Tanya's art.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

Art Space News: The Splasher

Street art has long been a tradition in New York. However, in recent years several now-famous artists have graced the streets with their work. Art by Banksy, Swoon, Faile and others have found a safe home on the streets of Brooklyn and Manhattan. However, these works have been challenged by an anonymous artssassin. This destroyer of the streets has been coined as 'The Splasher'- and splash he does!

Apparently he, she, or they utilizes buckets of paint as an arsenal of artistic destruction. The attack is simple enough- a quick 'splash' of colors hits the target- a task that could take mere seconds to accomplish. No one has been able to catch the Splasher even though teams have been assembled to 'guard' works that have yet to be destroyed. Also, the works that are targeted are all works by artists who are now famous- the Splasher does not target common sprawl art.

Onlookers have suggested several motives for the destruction due to the Splashers selective practice. One theory is that the Splasher a jealous street artist. Another theory is that the destruction is a ploy are street art collectors who hope to make their collections more valuable by destroying outside works. Others have suggested that Splasher might be an artists who is simply expressing himself by revealing the fact that street art is supposed to 'decay'. Those who support that theory feel that the Splasher is simply striking out against the commercialism of gallery controlled street art.

An interesting aspect of this story is that various manifestos (image above and below) have been left on many of the destroyed works. The papers are glued on the walls with a warning that injury may occur if they are removed due to 'shards of glass'. At least the Splasher has concern for the well-being of the public, right?



What do you think about 'The Splasher'? Do you have a theory about who or what it is? If you are from New York and have seen the remains of these works I'd love to read your experience- how did you feel when you discovered the destruction? Do you think this destruction is just another form of art? Is it acceptable since the work is street art?

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

Art Space News: Banksy Strikes Again!

The controversial street artist has struck again! This time in the form of a provocative mural in north London. Banksy's image depicts a young girl being pulled into a cash machine by a robotic arm. The image was painted on a bricked-up window in Exmouth Market. It is the latest example of the artist's graffiti-style work.

Last year Banksy left a life-size replica of a Guantanamo Bay detainee at Disneyland, and decorated Israel's controversial West Bank barrier with satirical images of what life is like on the other side. Both images resulted in political unrest. He is also known for a small rock painting of a caveman pushing a supermarket trolley that spent several days in the British Museum before officials spotted it. In other words, Banksy is no stranger to controversy and will put himself at risk in order to make a statement.

Banksy's work has become sought-after in recent years. Celebrities have spent thousands to own his work. For example, Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie reportedly spent several thousand on work by Banksy at a Los Angeles sale last year. Keanu Reeves and Jude Law have also spent thousands on Banksy's work.

Not everyone is a fan of Banksy's art. An anonymous person (or group) known as "Splasher" has been destroying street art by Banksy and other famous artists in New York. The Splasher uses a simple method- he slings paint over the original art. I suppose we will soon find out if there is a London 'Splasher'... if that happens he, she, or they could be coined as Jack the Splasher!

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

Art Space Talk: Rebecca Salter

Kocot and Hatton introduced me to Rebecca Salter. Art Critics have described Rebecca Salter's paintings as "paradoxes". Her works appear tranquil, yet are full of movement; they appear empty, but rarely are paintings so full.

Rebecca Salter's art has been featured in several major art fairs- including The Armory Show (2001)- and can be found in major art collections throughout the world. Salter is a two-time recipient of the Pollock-Krasner Foundation award.

Q. Kocot and Hatton introduced me to you. How did you meet them? What other artists have inspired (or influenced) your work? Do you keep an open dialogue with other artists?

A. "I met them (only very briefly I’m afraid) at the opening of my show at Larry Becker in 2005. Contact with other artist who are sympathetic to the work is very important to me. Inspiration and influence are difficult to pin down. There are many artists I admire (the obvious ones such as Rothko, Tobey, Agnes Martin, Barnett Newman) but I try to avoid influence. I never have images of other people’s work in my studio. I don’t have a particular dialogue with any other artists – though there are a few people whose judgment I trust when I need an opinion on the way the work is going.My way of working could be seen as isolated (the reason my be in my reply to a later question on Japan)"

Q. Rebecca, in recent years you have started to use new materials and techniques in your work. For example, the use of aluminum as a support and new techniques involving the partial but deliberate rubbing out of the painted surface. This new manner of working allows you to create in a way that is a subtle shift- a departure from your earlier practice. In your own words, how has your recent work developed from what it once was? Where will your practice take you next?

A. "Choice of materials is largely governed by the way I paint. I need a solid base to work on (canvas stapled to a board/aluminum/wood). My favorite surface is probably paper but having to frame things to protect them is always a problem. I like the immediacy of drawing and it is always a struggle to sustain that and carry it over into painting. In Japan I worked primarily on paper as it is seen as a traditional surface but living back in the UK, the move to canvas became important. It was a challenge to maintain the soft sensibility you can get on Japanese paper. But the problem with the paper was that it is so seductively beautiful that it is easy (and dangerous I think) to rely on that to shape the work. It needs more rigor."

Q. People have described your work as 'empty'... yet they go on to mention that there is a complex form of energy that you convey with your images. In other words, your work is alive in a subtle manner. Can you further discuss your work and the process and methods behind it?

A. "I am quite happy to have my work described as ‘empty’ (which I don’t think it is by the way). The difference lies I believe in the gap between western and eastern concepts of space. Eastern space is not seen as a void, rather as a space with potential. I like to think that my empty spaces are in fact animated with energy – barely perceptible but there all the same. This concept carries through Japanese art/architecture and gardens – which remain a huge source of inspiration to me."

Q. I've read that you were a research student at the Kyoto City University of Arts in Japan from 1979 to 1981. You then stayed in Japan until 1985. I imagine that your experience there influenced your later work. Care to reflect on your experience living and creating in Japan? Who were your mentors? How did that experience shape the future of your art?

A. "I went to Japan at a particularly difficult time for anyone who has left art school and is trying to continue their work. The problem of making a living, finding a studio, exploring your own way of working or even trying to establish a way of working after the security of art school. Going to a culture as different as Japan was, on reflection, an incredibly positive thing to do. Of course I still had the above issues to struggle with but being outside ones own culture provided an invaluable environment to reflect on the tradition from which I come (European) and the tradition in which I was living (Oriental specifically Japanese). Until I had learnt the language my mentors /inspirations were purely visual. As I began to read Japanese I could then study the aesthetics behind what I was seeing and how that was finding its way into my work. This experience has without doubt shaped the way I work still – in that it is based on more on reflection and introspection than dialogue with others."

Q. In 1995 you received a Pollock-Krasner Foundation award. You received another Pollock-Krasner Foundation award in 2003. How did you feel about earning the award? Is your work influenced by Pollock or Krasner?

A. "I have been very fortunate to receive 2 awards. I think the awards epitomise what is the best about the American attitude – the awards are open to all and above all there is an acknowledgment that making art is a serious activity worthy of support. I’m not particularly influenced by their work – though in the unlikely event that I make masses of money I would hope to use it for such worthwhile ends!"

Q. Rebecca, your art can be found in several prestigious collections: Tate Gallery, The British Museum, Yale Center for British Art, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art... did you expect your work to be so well received or do you still wake up to find yourself shocked at the accomplishments you have had?

A. "The most difficult question for me to answer is the casual inquiry (when people find out that I am an artist) ‘are you successful’? I never know how to respond. Having work in collections is a measure of success but I am haunted by how quickly things can go badly wrong. How many retrospectives end with 2 or 3 rooms of disappointing work? My definition of success doesn’t extend beyond the studio door. My only responsibility (and my personal measure of success) is to do the best possible work that I can, put it away and start another piece. If someone comes along and buys the work or a critic writes about it, then that is a huge bonus (obviously!). But to produce good work is my sole responsibility - the vagaries of the art world are beyond my control."

Q. Rebecca, how has society influenced your art? Are there any social implications in your work? What is hidden beyond the surface?

A. "There are no obvious social messages in my work – except possibly a hope that space can be found for the quiet voice or the visual experience that requires time and contemplation. I often say that I paint in whispers. A lot of work now asks the viewer to ‘experience’ it. I ask the viewer to reflect – a very different activity."

Q. Do you have any 'studio rituals'? As in, do you listen to certain types of music while working? What helps to get you in the mood for working?

A. "Very simple I’m afraid. I can’t work to music at all but I do listen to the radio (spoken voice). I keep very boring regular hours largely governed by the quality of light ( in the winter it gets dark early and that affects colour so I leave). The studio is kept clean and white with no bright colours at all."

Q. Rebecca, where can we see more of your art?

A. "My London gallery (Beardsmore Gallery) has work also Howard Scott in NY and Larry Becker in Philadelphia. And I have a website www.rebeccasalter.com."

Q. Do you have any suggestions for emerging artists or artists who wish to learn more about woodblock printing?

A. "Probably one of the best places to learn woodblock is in the US – there are several people who teach it well and it is more accessible that trying to learn in Japan where it is still largely part of the small workshop tradition and without Japanese it would be very hard. I have only really become involved with woodblock by accident – I learnt it in Japan and over the years became aware that it was dying out so now I am spending time trying to document it."

Q. Finally, is there anything else you would like to say about your art or the 'art world'?

A. "My only advice is to try and keep your work and your feelings about it separate from the art world. The art world is subject to powerful forces that are not only beyond your control but have very little to do with art. We all know of artists who were never recognised despite their obvious talent. The two are not connected in any meaningful way. Believe in yourself first and last - the rest is largely accidental."

Feel free to comment about Rebecca Salter's art.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

Lisa Yuskavage's Issues

Recently, I saw Lisa Yuskavage talk about her work. She said she needed to make art to live. Like, or else she'd be miserable. Miserable or dead. (She didn't really say that, but what the hell.) I guess she needs to express herself. She talked about her time in therapy (a lot), something I haven't heard at other artist's talks I've been to. She used words like "transference" and showed slides of (a few of the many) portrait paintings she's done of her shrink. She is an accomplished painter, but perhaps her artistic conversation is mostly with herself. Like, she uses the language of painting to navigate her own issues. I am not particularly interested in her psychology, even though she seems like an ok person. A lot of her friends came to her talk and cheered her on from the front row. It was strange. I mean, she's been famous for years now, how much more encouragement does one need? And with talk like this how the hell did she get so famous? (i.e. the talk I saw was sponsored by the Public Art Fund)

I mean, looking at her paintings I imagine there's been some fruitful discussion of gender, sex, desire, other stuff. But I'm not sure there's been as fruitful a discussion of art. But perhaps that's why her works are so popular: they're relevant, topical, accessible. Conversation starters. And besides, oil painting is in these days, and John Currin is in. But as far as being avant-garde...

She said some of the usual stuff about color, its symbolic and visual effects. She talked about figurative images and narrative in painting, which was interesting, I'll admit. And I guess we could talk about low content (porn) in high culture (oil painting) and the similarities between classic figurative painting and classic 70's pornography (see Warhol). And I do like this painting I put up of hers. It reminds me of the way Picasso used to deconstruct women's bodies, only this time there are hints of cosmetic surgery, anorexia, prostitution.

But I guess I'm not so interested. I've said it before (I think) and I'll say it again, I love the avant-garde (i.e. questioning and expanding the boundaries of art) and I'm not into work that's mostly topical (i.e. the artist's emotions/psychology, sociology, gender studies, etc.). I am into art because I like to talk (mostly) about the field of art, not other stuff. So, what I'd really like to know is how is Yuskavage's work relevant to the field of contemporary art? I mean, from the talk I saw it seems like she's not even sure. She just does it because she has to.

Art Space Talk: Ian Strawn

I observed the art of Ian Strawn while attending the Bridge Art Fair Preview Party in Chicago. With a phenomenally creative painter for a mother, and a set designing, iron sculpting, jack and/or master of all trades for a father, Ian Strawn was well encouraged in his artistic inclinations from the start.

Mr. Strawn has been interested in the human figure since his youth. Since those early years he has developed a unique style of capturing the human form. However, Ian is humble with his talent and skill- stating that his greatest creative achievement was the birth of his daughter.

Q. Ian, I observed your work at the Bridge Art Fair in Chicago. You workwas represented by the Go Go Gallery. How did you fair go for you? Did you make any connections?

A. "The fair went very well for me. It introduced my work to a major collector, who made a purchase. The gallery tells me that my paintings worked up quite a lot of interest at the fair, unfortunately I wasn't there to see it."

Q. Ian, you have called yourself a 'people watcher' and have stated that people watching inspires your work. Can you explain this connection to your work? Where does this interest stem from?

A. "I think we all enjoy watching those around us, it's the reason gossip and reality shows are so popular. When I was a kid, my dad would take me out to dodger stadium, and far more entertaining than the game at hand were the fights and hijinx of the drunks in the cheap seats. There is something to the frenetic and unstructured actions of individual people caught up in their own lives that is fascinating. I'm just taking this fascination and throwing it on the canvas."

Q. So people have always been the focus of your work?

A. "Ever since I was a kid. I was never much for drawing cars or houses or tanks like the other kids around me, though I did have a brief stint of drawing apache helicopters back in the fifth grade. I was always trying to figure out how to draw faces, and as realistically as I could. I'm stilling trying to work it out. There is just so much complexity. To really express someone in paint is much more intense than skin tone and features, somehow emotion, individuality, character, and thought have to work their way in. I love the challenge of it."

Q. I understand that your mother is also a painter. How did she influence the direction of your work? What of your father?

A. "My earliest art projects were those that my mother set up for me, and they were encouraged as major accomplishments by both of my parents.Instead of trophies up on the mantel, my drawings and paintings were up on the wall to show off. Also, I think that watching my mom paint my whole life had a definite impact on me. Her stuff is really bright and colorful and filled with contrast, I think that I get a lot of my color sensibility from her. I keep trying to get her to put her stuff out there in the art world, I think she'd be a hit. As for my dad, I defer to his editing skills. He's a born designer, and every once in awhile when I get myself stuck in a rut I can email off some sketches and catch a critique from the old man."

Q. Do you have formal training in art? If so, where did you study?

A. "Yes, I got an associates in fine art at El Camino Community College near LA, and moved on to get my BA in visual arts from Brigham Young University in Utah. Though, I have to say, really learning art is about doing, all classes did for me was introduce me to new materials and attach a grade to force me to overcome procrastination. Not to say that either of the programs were bad, they were both quite excellent. I just do better on my own."

Q. Ian, can you share some of your philosophy about art and artistic creation?

A. "I've heard it said before that artists become artists because they can't do anything else, not that they are incapable but that their drive towards creating art overcomes nearly every other drive in their life. For me, this is true. Even back in high school when I was too lazy to actually spend the energy drawing, I was always thinking about it. Somewhere in the back of my mind I felt guilty for not creating. The same impulse followed me in college. I had meant to study something else, to have something of a fall back career in case the art thing didn't pan out. But I was driven to art classes. My free time was spent painting. Finally, a number of coincidences and administrative whatnot pinned me down into an art major and there I was. I don't try to justify art, I don't have some overarching rationale for it, I just can't imagine myself doing anything else with my life."

Q. Has your art ever been published? Where?

A. "No, it has not yet been published, unless you count a high school student's magazine."

Q. Do you have any 'studio rituals'? As in, do you listen to certain types of music while working? What helps to get you in the mood for working?

A. "I'd really like to say something magnificent like I throw on some Black Sabbath and rock out as I paint, or meditate to a Gregorian chant or two before I start working. But this truth is something much more boring and nerdly - I listen to NPR. I was a courier in LA for a while, and after spending five hours a day relistening to my tiny CD collection, and dodging the commercials of commercial radio, I stumbled across the mind numbingly constant and unending babble of national public radio and was hooked. Like I said, I'm drawn to people, and as much I like watching them, I also enjoy listening to actual conversation. These days I don't actually listen to it on the radio so much as catch the podcasts of my favorite shows - This American Life, Studio 360, the Sound of Young America, Jordan Jesse Go, Fair Game with Faith Salie, etc."

Q.Where can we see more of your art?

A. "You can catch it all on my website www.ianstrawn.com, but I am also exhibitting in a few galleries here and there if you want to see the stuff in person. I just picked up representation from a gallery in San Francisco, the Hespe Gallery, so you can catch me there. Also I'm part of a group show in Denver called "Lacunae" put on by the Plus Gallery, and I have a few pieces in Seth Carmichael's temporary Art Loft space in LA."

Q. Ian, what artists have influence you?

A. "I'd have to say that one of my favorite contemporaries is Chuck Close, the man can do no wrong with paintbrush in hand. As for old school, Alexander Calder, Joan Miro, Magritte, and Duchamp come readily to mind."

Q. What has been the toughest point for you as far as creating your art is concerned?

A. "School. It was a lot of work for a piece of paper. I put myself through school, working nights, selling paintings, the usual stuff. In the end, it's nice to know that if things don't work out that piece of paper might do me some good to get a job. And all the trials to get through it made me more of who I am, but I'd much rather have spent the time painting on my own."

Q. Finally, is there anything else you would like to say about your art or the 'art world'?

A. "No, but thanks for asking."

I hope that you have enjoyed learning more about Ian Strawn. Feel free to critique or discuss his art.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

Art Space Talk: Naive John

I recently interviewed the artist known as Naive John. John is a British artist who has a strong focus on figurative painting. John is a self-taught artist with a perfectionist’s attention to detail and craft. His paintings combine mythological and surreal images juxtaposed with Liverpool's urban setting. They often refer to concerns for the environment with a humorous element.

Q. When did you first discover that art would be an important part of your adult life?

A. "Late by most artists’ standards I guess. I was raised in a Glasgow slum before moving to a small town called Cumbernauld which had no galleries or museums. My home life was very dysfunctional and on occasions violent. As a result I attended school infrequently and failed academically. I was always drawing though, usually household ornaments or cartoon characters.

My dad is fond of telling people about the time him and my mum were pulled to one side by a teacher who showed them a sheet of paper which I had completely covered with blue paint. My teacher explained that the class had been asked to paint some fish and when asked where my fish were I had replied that they were ‘under the water, you can’t see them’. I was six years old and already a smart arse.

My dad bought me my first set of oil paints when I was 13. I painted imagined landscapes and portraits of my beloved Doberman. It was, however, a foregone conclusion that I would be apprenticed down the shipyards alongside my dad until that particular industry died on its feet in the 1980s.

Finding myself at 17 on the scrapheap I spent the next decade or so being a waster, sniffing petrol, exchanging drawings for lumps of hashish and tripping on acid or mushrooms. On visiting a local drug dealer I encountered Salvador Dali posters for the first time. It was my first encounter with modern art and something in my head went BANG! After that I educated myself, read lots of art history books and worked hard at my painting. It was something I did for myself in the privacy of my bedroom. I only seriously considered exhibiting my paintings a few years ago."

Q. How has society influenced your art? Are there any social implications in your art?

A. "I am a gay man and if it is true that all artists respond in a particular way toward the society they are a part of then it is equally true that the homosexual artist’s response is governed by concerns that do not affect the heterosexual artist. I should say though that I have no desire to create an aesthetic that is specific to it. My paintings are not made for the exclusive use of a particular community."

Q. On average, how long does it take you to create a piece?

A. "Between 2 and 4 months to complete a 4 x 3ft canvas, depending on complexity."

Q. Can you share some of your philosophy about art and artistic creation?

A. "I want to present my world view in beautifully rendered paintings. It is my raison d’etre as an artist. Anyone can make ugly art. Our galleries are bursting at the seams with it. Naive John makes art that an eight year old cannot do and that is how it should be.

My paintings are narrative based figurative works and are painted with an obsessive's attention to finish, resulting in a smooth enamel like surface. I go to considerable lengths to remove anything resembling artistic handwriting from my paintings and consider the expressive brush mark to be entirely over-rated. The painting methods I use are freely adapted from extensive readings on Old Master techniques. In this respect my art could be considered rather conservative and old fashioned. It appears on the surface that I have rejected modernism and clung fast to academic procedures more befitting that of a nineteenth century artist. I'm a big fan of so called bad artists like Bouguereau and Gustav Moreau, they make donkeys of the more acclaimed canonical artists. Like them I heroise my subject matter and at the same time take great pride in almost photographic precision and correctness of detail. I am entirely self-taught in this respect and I work very intuitively.

On one level it could be said that I have more in common with Victor Frankenstein than Vincent van Gogh, sourcing a hand from here and an ear from there and effectively building a composite human being who might then become the protagonist in a painting. I steal from many sources; Google is my best friend. I flip through troves of art historical representations like others might a book of fabric swatches. Detailed tonal drawings are made using a ball point pen which are scanned into my computer. Photoshop is used to arrange them into a composition. There can be as many as 20 variations on a composition. Each is refined in manner and execution until I end up with one which works for me. This is my ‘lo-fi’ approach; a stylus makes the marks on a hard drive in place of a sketch pad."

Q. Has your art ever been published?

A. "Yes - my work has been used on CD and book covers."

Q. What was your most important exhibition? Care to share that experience?

A. "The Stuckist Punk Victorian Show in the Walker Gallery, Liverpool 2004. It climaxed my ‘coming out’ period as an artist and was a classic case of being in the right place at the right time. I emailed Charles Thomson in March of 2004 with a view to forming a group in Liverpool. He got back to me saying that he thought it would be a good idea. Shortly after this he contacted me again to tell me that Ann Bukantas, the Walker Gallery's fine art curator, admired my painting Toxteth Cherub and that it might be a good thing to have a local artist involved in the show. From there I was asked to submit more work and ended up with 3 canvases in the show.

My inclusion in the show, and the accompanying catalogue, meant that my work and my web site gained a lot of public exposure. I was interviewed by French television and one of my paintings Art Takes a Holiday was the subject of an A-level exam paper (recently presented in book form to me at an exhibition). I was contacted by collectors interested in buying my work and by galleries expressing a desire to show my paintings.

All of these events occurred midway through doing an art history degree and the Chair of the department, Professor Colin Fallows, offered me the opportunity to curate another Stuckist show - The Triumph of Stuckism - as well as lead the accompanying international symposium. Both these events further raised my artistic profile and as a result I am now the subject of a documentary film and a Turner Prize nominee. The irony of which will not be lost on the other Stuckists."

Q. Do you have any 'studio rituals'? As in, do you listen to certain types of music while working? What helps to get you in the mood for working?

A. "I paint exclusively at night and always with music in the background. My studio walls are currently propping up tiers of CDs by Bach, Bjork, Radiohead, Kraftwerk, Duke Ellington and the Boards of Canada. I suck on boiled sweets otherwise I get a sore jaw from unconsciously clenching my jaw. Being a perfectionist is stressful."

Q. If you could pinpoint the characteristics of people who collect your art, what would they be?

A. "I seem to appeal to the literary mind. I can count Scotland's Poet Laureate and an 'edgy' novelist amongst my most fervent collectors. Most recently David Roberts, owner of London’s Spectrum Gallery and himself a major collector of contemporary art, bought all of my remaining works as well as Human (versus Mother) Nature - a work in progress."

Q. Discuss one of your pieces.

A. "The Other (image above) is an elaborately staged allegory about bullying. By virtue of his being visibly different from the crowd the centaur has attracted the unwelcome attention of the 'mob'. This centaur far from being cowed is, however, self-assured and, other than keeping a wary eye on the dogs at his heels, appears to be baiting them in a manner similar to that of a matador in a bullfight. Here though in place of the matador’s cape is a towel with a love heart emblazoned upon it. This ‘other’ reacts with patience and intelligence, rather than fear. He exhibits compassion for his tormentors who, he realises, are ignorant rather than hateful.

Dominating the painting in a dynamic diagonal – a compositional device borrowed from the baroque - is the centaur himself, a mythological beast that has traditionally been linked with boorishness in the Classical world but which I have appropriated and deployed here as a signifier of gay iconography. The centaur, for me, is literally a symbol of animal sexuality, a sexuality which is free from societal constraints. At the same time as effectively modelling the alienation of its protagonist, and providing a compelling icon for drawing the viewer into the outsider’s experience, the centaur helps to emphasise the self-conscious fiction of this painted document. It is, after all, a fantastical notion to depict a centaur on an urban Liverpool street. On the wall, and continuing the line of the diagonal, there are two playing cards balanced against one another. One card is the Joker. In tarot the Joker is also known as the fool, a jester. He represents inexperience and naïveté seeking self-expression. The card itself is indicative of mania, delirium, passion, obsession and irrationality. I have adopted the Joker card in many paintings as my signature principally because it embodies many of the adversities which have challenged me, as a man who suffers from dysthymia - a mood disorder. The dogs, in this context, we could regard as a tool of the status quo, their task being to reinforce normative standards. Finally, and acting as a focal point, is the love heart. While universally recognised as a symbol for love, it is in the tarot that this icon symbolizes knowledge. Thus the centaur inhabits and exhibits intelligence and free thinking. Effectively I am mixing the mundane with the marvellous not by trying to juggle the real so much as navigating the artifice. By wedding the eerie with the everyday I am, through the use of metaphors, reinforcing or amplifying the common place.

The Other provided an excuse to indulge in mythological playacting. It is a painting which in both content and technical execution opposes the dominant social values and conceptions of art and academic culture. There is no respect for the hierarchies that exist between high and low culture, good or bad taste. This confusion of styles and forms can have no outcome but the consummation of a camp aesthetic, a kind of knowing kitsch. As such the painting stands in defence of all that is excluded, minoritised or considered deviant up to and including the painting's technical methodology. Demonstrating the importance of the independent and the relative, it shows solidarity with all that is devalued, outcast or excluded.

When I was painting it I was conscious of melding the Wizard of Oz with Animal Farm but within an urban context and from a highly personal point of view. Thus I have depicted the 'real' world as being black and white and the otherwordly in Technicolor. It is also the first painting in which I experimented with systematic blurring. Previous to this I made what I would call hard edged paintings. I was pleased with the results and have taken this method further in Human (versus Mother) Nature, The Rat Race and Sefton Park – genetically modified."

Q. Do you have a degree or do you plan to attend school for art? If so, how did it help you as an artist? What can you tell us about the art department that you attended?

A. "I attended Greys School of Art in Aberdeen, Scotland. After they considered my portfolio of work to be exceptional they relaxed the entry requirements for me. It was really quite a soul destroying experience and did not help me as an artist other than to imbibe me with a determination to prove them wrong. The standard of drawing was terrible; the worst in the class was celebrated as being the best. I played a prank one day in life drawing and made a drawing using my left hand (I am right handed). It was, as one would expect, very poor but the lecturer exclaimed that I was 'on the right track'. That really did it for me. I thought they were lazy charlatans for the most part. They expelled me after a year because they couldn't mould me. Most of the students compromised their integrity in order to please their lecturers and get the grades they required."

Q. Why did you choose the medium(s) that you use?

A. "I use all kinds of mediums. Currently my preference is water based oils. Brushes and palette are cleaned under a tap with soap and water. No solvents and very eco friendly. As a vegetarian 'green' type an environmentally friendly medium is high on my priorities."

Q.Where can we see more of your art?

A. "Online at www.naivejohn.com or in the flesh at the Glasgow Hunterian Museum's permanent collection where I am sandwiched between Whistler and the Glasgow Boys."

Q. Are you represented by a gallery? Do you have any upcoming exhibits?
A. "I sell all my work through my website. The internet effectively means that I pay no commission to middlemen and it has the added advantage of allowing people access to my work who might otherwise feel intimidated by the gallery environment.

I have forthcoming exhibitions in London, Barcelona, New York, Berlin and Reykjavik. See www.fellowtravellers.org for more details."

Q. What galleries have you exhibited in? Can you provide links to their sites?

A. "View 2 Gallery, Liverpool www.viewtwogallery.co.uk,
Walker Gallery, Liverpool www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker/exhibitions/stuckists/ukstuckists/naivejohn.asp,
Urbis Museum, Manchester www.urbis.org.uk
68 Hope Street Gallery, Liverpool www.ljmu.ac.uk/PRS/59041

Q. What trends do you see in the 'art world'?

A. "Taste is dictated by a small cartel of elitists. It was always thus."

Q. Any tips for emerging artists?

A. "Make art for yourself first and foremost."

Q. Has your work ever been censored? If so, how did you deal with it?

A. "Long Ago in Another Place Entirely was discussed by an artist selection panel who thought it quite controversial. They interpreted it politically as an anti-abortion pro-life image. It isn't. It's a positive affirmation of how alien we once were when we lived in the womb. In the end they deemed it to be 'proper art' which would 'provoke' people and allowed it to be shown."

Q. What was the toughest point in your career as an artist? Have you ever hit rock-bottom?

A. "As a man I hit 'rock bottom' 6 years ago which resulted in a mental health team visiting my house. I still attend a psychiatric hospital on an outpatient basis. As an artist I have been lucky. There have been no real obstacles other than my own personal shortcomings."

Q. In one sentence... why do you create art?

A. "To make the kind of paintings I would like to look at."

Q. What can you tell our readers about the art scene in your area?

A. "It is cliquey. I steer well clear of it and work in solitude, preferring my own company to that of other artists."

Q. Has politics ever entered your art?

A. "No. I am not interested in making propaganda."

Q. Does religion, faith, or the lack thereof play a part in your art?

A. "I have no religion or faith but consider myself to be a spiritual being. Everything I do is influenced by my belief that everything is one."

Q. Is there anything else you would like to say about your art or the 'art world'?

A. "I am unashamedly populist; I have no interest in cultivating the pretentious type of viewer. As a child my visual inspirations were cartoons, comics, films and TV imagery and to some extent this is still the case. I am naive enough to believe that the ordinary man in the street enjoys art too and I have him in mind when I make paintings because for the majority of my life I have lived in the same streets as this Everyman.

I am suspicious about anything overly intellectual, consequently I most often judge art, whether it be a film, a painting or a piece of music, on my gut instinct.

I am an informed heretic and proud of it. I possess a first class degree in art history so I'm not ignorant about modernist theories but in my opinion much of it is stylistic navel-gazing, irrelevant outside of the museum or the art market. It’s art that has been made for art historians. If you are sufficiently clever with words you can justify anything, you can even convince people that nothing is profoundly something. I have no interest in this kind of 'art'.

As an artist my primary interest lies in making images which are poetic expressions of ideas. I would rather address the general and universal than the specific and overly personal. What people see in my paintings is my world view; often dark but humorous. I'm not interested in self-centred or solipsistic art so the current passion for overtly autobiographical art leaves me completely cold. I do not feel the need to share the intimate details of my day to day existence with anyone else in an art gallery or museum. My experiences are there in some form but they are not explicit. That is part of the art; the transformation of the mundane into something approaching the aesthetic.

I’d like to end by proposing that Naive John is actually quite sophisticated."

I hope that you have enjoyed learning about Naive John. Feel free to critique or discuss his art.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

Art Space News: Can you hit Wafaa Bilal?

A controversial installation in Chicago is causing a worldwide stir. Wafaa Bilal, an Iraqi American artist, has made himself the target of a paintball gun in order to express his concern over the war in Iraq. Viewers are allowed to shoot Mr. Bilal with a paintball gun while he stands practically defenseless.

Mr. Bilal has stated that he is trying to convey what life is like in Iraq for the common civilian. “There is a constant threat here, and part of this project is to put myself in harm's way in order to get closer to what my family is going through,” Bilal said.

Mr. Bilal plans to live in the project space at Flatline Galleries for 45 days. At any given moment, he can be shot by the paintball gun since people can take part in the “Domestic Tension" exhibit by visiting a website that Mr. Bilal is involved with (www.crudeoils.us).

Website visitors can actually point to where they want to fire. Ironically some participants refuse to fire and others have actually tried to defend Mr. Bilal. Thus, the installation reveals various sides of human nature.

What do you think about this installation? Does it convey the message that Mr. Bilal set out for? What do you think about him utilizing the internet as a part of his installation? Will his project make a difference? I want to read your opinions about Mr. Bilal's installation.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

Art Space News: Daniel Edwards 'Shocks' us again.

He shocked us with his sculpture of pop star Britney Spears giving birth- perhaps that is why she has crashed again? He awed us with his 'sexy' bust of Hillary Clinton- now I know why Bill strayed! He even amazed us with Suri's bronzed baby poop- or did that sculpture represent TomKat's media life? Regardless of any supposed meaning behind his work, Daniel Edwards is serving art viewers another round of... think Suri's bronzed baby poop.

This time Edwards has set his sights on another celebrity: Paris Hilton. Edwards has created a sculpture of the hotel heiress and socialite as a naked corpse, with cell phone in hand, legs spread and crowned with a tiara. Edwards stated that the "Paris Hilton Autopsy" is a "statement about the dangers of drunk driving just as high school prom season rolls around...". What? How noble of you Mr. Edwards... unfortunately I believe I see another intention behind his work!

"It's really kind of a wake-up call for anybody who really pays attention to Paris Hilton, close enough that they might end up emulating her," stated Edwards about the piece. I think a different type of 'wake-up call' is in order. I think it is time we cut through the bronzed Suri poop in order to discover the intentions of Mr. Edwards and his sculptures. Isn't it ironic that he decides to unveil this piece just a few days after Hilton's sentencing? Am I the only one making the connection?

In my eyes Edwards is leeching off of the lives of celebrities in order to advance his own career. Sadly, we live in a time that anyone can become famous over night by making a mockery of a celebrity, political figure, or anyone else of supposed importance. This art-stardom can occur regardless of talent, skill, or process of thought behind the work- IF the the timing is right. I will give Mr. Edwards one thing- he sure knows how to time the unveiling of his work. His strategy is flawless.

This strategy of combating the cult of popularity with absurd sculptures is really paying off for Edwards. However, he does not claim that as his intention. If he did I might actually respect his kitsch sculptures for what they are. Instead, he attempts to put deep meaning behind works that only boil down to shock.

I strongly suspect that Edwards creates work that boils down to numbers- as in the the numbers of people who will stumble upon his sculptures while doing popular searches. In other words, Edwards creates sculptures that he knows will gain attention based on the people they represent.

For example, if you do a Google search on Britney Spears you will find links to Edwards sculpture after just a few page views. The same goes for Suri- after a few pages you will find yourself in TomKat crap. Edwards is creating sculptures that demand views online. Sculptures that leech off searches that a countless number of people make every day on popular search engines.

I've observed Mr. Edwards work at the Bridge Art Fair in Chicago. His sculpture of Spears seemed to be the figurehead of the exhibit. However, there were better examples of art at the fair- art that was more deserving of that position- art that does not have to rely on media hype to make a point.

People viewing the piece did not see a deep meaning behind it. They did not see a pro-life message as Edwards has stated was his intention. They saw an absurd sculpture... a funny moment.... something to be captured from the flash of a camera while pointing at the sculpture in a sexually suggestive manner with their friends.

That is my opinion,

Brian Sherwin

Art Space Talk: Kim Scott

Kim Scott has been creating art as a profession since 1973. She is known for depicting conventional and unconventional figures that stem from different sources. Monster and Sci-fi movies and books from her youth have remained a constant source of inspiration in her work. Kim Scott's artwork has shared walls with many interesting artists: Alex Grey, Mark Ryden, Todd Shorr, the Clayton brothers- just to name a few. Her work can be found in several collections, including the Crocker Art Museum.

Brian Sherwin: Kim, when did you first discover that art would be an important part of your adult life?

Kim Scott: I was always the "class artist" from the beginning, but at 19 I realized that I could make art for a living. " I was taking Marine Biology classes at the time, thinking about what to do for a REAL JOB, then I realized that making art IS a real job.

BS: Kim, how has society influenced your art? Are there any social implications in your art?

KS: I am a Vanitas painter. I paint topics relating to my own experiences and focus on impermanence and vanity. I have always been interested it this, but when I started doing Tibetan Buddhist practice 14 years ago, it really showed up in the work. I have taught art to adults with developmental disabilities, high risk youth and inmates in the California State Prison System on and off over the last 15 years. I've seen the power of positive personal expression. I think all my travel has added depth to my work too, all the museums, archeological sites, temples, mosques and Cathedrals..... seeing the rich and poor over time. Seeing the things that people make, that are important to them is really interesting to me."

BS: On average, how long does it take you to create a piece?

KS: Between two days and two weeks. I paint pretty fast, but the oils and glazes take a bit of time to dry properly.

BS: Has your art ever been published?

KS: In a few Mags, I did the cover of Tower records now defunct "Pulse" mag, I have made images for some local mags and rags and get included in local newspapers quite often. I have a piece in the "Western SciFi" Catalogue from the SF Minna gallery show of the same name. I am a member of the Art Dorks collective, and we are going to put a book out later this year.

BS: Kim, what was your most important exhibition? Care to share that experience?

KS: One of my goals years ago was to get my work into a one person museum show. After 6 years of working on it, the Crocker Art Museum asked for work. It consisted of 18 miniature paintings I painted while in India. I received a letter while working there asking if I would like to do the show.... HELL YES!! I was so happy. Getting work into the Western-Scifi show was a boon too. I met soooo many fine artists that opening night and after... Mark Ryden, Ausgang, KRK Ryden, Mike Davis, Isabelle Samaras.... and the list goes on. It expanded the region my work was being seen in and started conversations with many artists living outside of my town.

BS: Kim, do you have any 'studio rituals'? As in, do you listen to certain types of music while working? What helps to get you in the mood for working?

KS: I like Indian, Persian and African music, I listen to international internet radio stations, I like progressive talk radio and too much TV! (guilty pleasure) If I need inspiration, I clean the studio or gesso wood panels, I always feel like painting after that.

BS: If you could pinpoint the characteristics of people who collect your art, what would they be?

KS: Brave. So much of my work is a little hard to look at. I try to make it beautiful and authentic. To me, beauty is something that moves you, not just something that is pretty. Some people gravitate to this. They appreciate moving out of their comfort zone to reflect through the work. To have this intimate emotion. They are my collectors and fans."

BS: Kim, discuss one of your pieces. What were you thinking when you created it?

KS: (Escape and Good Luck!- image above) I had this cut off funny little fragment of a starving artists "real oil painting" from the 99 cent store knocking around the studio. I decided to expand on it, so I nailed it to a piece of plywood and painted it close to the same background color as the painting fragment. I extended the landscape component out from the fragment onto the wood... and just looked at it for about a week, trying to see what else needed to be there. I almost always think of my work as self portraits, and had been using meat as character for a while. This bucolic setting just seemed ripe for a swim... the first title was "swimming Lesson" but quickly got changed to "Escape and Good Luck" ... the surprised and panicked look in the eyes cinched the name change. What is she running from...? Her past? The dogs? A mirror? The frying pan? Where was my fan brush when I needed it most?! Recently I have been approached by several guys with cannibal fetishes... I supposed it was only a matter of time...

BS: Do you have a degree or do you plan to attend school for art? If so, how did it help you as an artist? What can you tell us about the art department that you attended?

KS: I have an MA in studio art from california State University at Sacramento. I also went to American River Community College, where I received some good basic painting training from Gary Pruner, and other Photo Realists. When I went to school at Sac State, the method of teaching was "go paint". Not much info into technique and such. This has its benefits, studio time is sooo important. Developing self motivation is key. I talked to a new younger painter friend the other day who said he had Eric Joyner for a background painting teacher in SF......BACKGROUND PAINTING TEACHER!!! I wish I would have had one of those!

BS: Kim, why did you choose the medium(s) that you use?

KS: Oil looks the best. The End. It stinks, you can develop allergies, it takes time to dry.... but the surface and color. Sorry... as good as acrylics can look, oils look a little better. More beguiling. I also use enamels on copper in the Limoges style now and then. It makes your work look like jewelry. Beautiful, and hard to control. Sometimes thats a good thing.

BS: Where can we see more of your art?

KS: www.feedyoureye.com , www.artdorks.com (new site opens soon) www.myspace.com/feedyoureye, www.davescave.com

BS: Are you represented by a gallery? Do you have any upcoming exhibits?

KS: Toyroom Gallery in Sacramento lets me use their space for lots of fun stuff, I've had my own shows there and I have curated a couple of group shows there too. I just curated the "Everything Nice" show there and then it traveled to Thinkspace and Cannibalflower in LA, See the amazing artists involved at: http://www.sacforart.com/everythingnice.html The Art Dorks are having a few shows this year including one at McCaig-Wells in Brooklyn in June and at Thinkspace in LA also in June. I have showing some collabouation works at A Bitchin' Space in Sac this year. Toyroom in October... More in the works in NY, Phoenix, Philadelphia and Seattle.

BS: Kim, what galleries have you exhibited in? Can you provide links to their sites?

KS: Heres a few...

Toyroom Gallery (Sacramento) www.toyroomgallery.com
A Bitchin' Space (Sacramento) www.abitchinspace.com
Youngblood Gallery (Atlanta) www.youngbloodgallery.com
Feinkunst Krüger gallery (Hamburg) http://www.feinkunst-krueger.de/framefeinkunst.html//l
McCaig-Welles Gallery (Brooklyn) www.mccaigwelles.com
Thinkspace (LA) www.thinkspacegallery.com
Cannibalflower(LA) www.cannibalflower.com
Anno Domini(San Jose) www.galleryad.com
Subject Matter Gallery (Costa Mesa) http://visualsubjectmatter.com
Hope Gallery (New Haven) http://www.hopegallerytattoo.com/event.html//l
RX gallery (SF) http://rxgallery.com
Horsecow Gallery (Sacramento) www.horsecow.com
Shooting Gallery (SF) www.shootinggallerysf.com
Varnish Fine Art (SF) www.varnishfineart.com
111 Minna Gallery (SF) www.111minnagallery.com

BS: Kim, what trends do you see in the 'art world'?

KS: Thank Buddha that painting the figure is back. Cabinet painting is back. Art that can be collected and shown in a regular sized home or apartment. Technical excellence. The craft is way up, and when the ideas are there too, its magic.

BS: Kim, do you have any advice for emerging artists?

KS: Go to your studio. Mature as a human being, or your work will suffer. Also, learn the business, no mater how good you are, if you can't interface with the business world, its hard to cleanly close the deal on your art skills. Stop that prima donna stuff. A little goes a long way. Let your art kick their ass, not your attitude. Don't forget to have fun! Not many artists make a full time living on their art making. Its not a crime to work a second job... make it something you like. "Those that can't do, teach" is a stupid saying.

BS: Kim, has your work ever been censored? If so, how did you deal with it?

KS: I was asked to cover up the nipples on a painting going on the front of a local newspaper... no problem. My other work? I have put up signs warning about content at galleries a few times.... I have had VERY explicit work up at college galleries and public shows several times without censor. I was pleased.

BS: What was the toughest point in your career as an artist? Have you ever hit rock-bottom?

KS: Being an artists is its own punishment and reward. Hard to make a living, fun and rewarding to make stuff, Its great to contribute to the world authentically. Richeous livelihood is good when you can do it. When I feel bad about myself, if I don't believe in my intrinsic value as a human...my work suffers. Sometimes its hard not to cave into the pressures of the media about how you should look and such. Vanity causes a lot of suffering! Best not to buy into it. Go to your studio!

BS: Kim, in one sentence... why do you create art?

KS: I long to commune and the visual language is the language I use best.

BS: What can you tell our readers about the art scene in your area?

KS: I was born, educated and raised in Sacramento CA. Also known as "CowTown", "the Big Easychair" ,"Sacatomatoe" and "Sacra". People who live here or who move here are under the old native "curse of the two rivers". (you will not be able to leave Sacramento, or if you do leave you will have to come back until all of your spiritual work is done) It houses the oldest Art Museum west of the Mississippi river (the Crocker, just had a radiant and bitchin' Irving Norman show), has the best farm fresh food and doesn't know how great it really is. Painting was NEVER dead here. There are lots of galleries, a fantastic 2 percent for the arts public collection, and the RCAF (Royal Chicano Air Force) makes it their home. During the early 70s, some of Chicago's coolest cats, the "Hairy Who" moved in, partied and intermarried with the locals, making a funny and funky mess of valley art here called Valley Funk. Influential Valley dignitaries have included Wayne Thiebaud ,Thomas Kinkade (!a little further up the hill...), Hudson River valley painters including Norton Bush and Thomas HIll, Funk artists Robert Arneson , Jim Nutt and Pop photo realist Mel Ramos. Plus a BIG bunch of other men and women making all kinds of stuff. Pop Surrealism and Lowbrow R us for the last 30 years. Huge car culture, Johnny crash'o'rama, and Bill Liberty Tattoo. Its an art vortex. Come and take the ride sometime...but if you need to brush up on your spiritual work, you may be here a while.

BS: Kim, has politics ever entered your art?

KS: It enters my life, so it can't help entering my art....This is Sacramento after all... gotta go to marches at the Capitol a couple times a year to defend the arts in CA, or other causes.

BS: Does religion, faith, or the lack thereof play a part in your art?

KS: A spiritual component is present in my expression.

BS: Finally, is there anything else you would like to say about your art or the "art world'?

KS: Give me more shows!

You can learn more about Kim Scott by visiting the following website-- www.feedyoureye.com. You can read more of my interviews by visiting the following page-- www.myartspace.com/interviews. Kim is involved with the beinArt International Surreal Art Collective.

Surreal Visionary Fantastic Art & Metamorphosis Art Book

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

Gallery Space Talk: Camilo Alvarez (Samson Projects)

Camilo Alvarez is the owner and Director of Samson Projects. This gallery has represented artists at major art fairs. Samson Projects has been infolved with the Scope art fair three times and has represented artists at NADA twice.

Samson Projects, established in March 2004, blends the best elements of a commercial gallery with the experimental attitude of an alternative exhibition space. They represent a group dedicated to furthering contemporary art. Projects creates and presents programs that explore the diversity of cultures and voices that continually shape contemporary art and ideas today, introducing emerging and under-recognized artists as well as established artists.

Samson Projects currently represents: Nicole Cherubini, SunTek Chung, Taylor Davis, Craig Drennen, Jeffrey Gibson, Gabriel Martinex, Wardell Milan, Rune Olsen and Suzannah Sinclair- a diverse group of artists.

Q. You are the gallery director of Samson Projects. When was the gallery established? What is the mission of your gallery?

A. "I opened up the gallery in March 2004. Its now 3 and change. I like to mix established and emerging artists...all artists focused on contributing to culture and its evolution and advancement.

At first I didn’t feel I could ask to represent any artists but as the gallery matured I was approached by artists that wanted to work with me so now I take them to art fairs all over the world. In the past months I have done art fairs in Miami, NYC, Mexico City and Barcelona."

Q. Why did you decide to become a gallery director? Are you an artist yourself? How did you get involved with the arts?

A. "I am also the curator, the owner and the preparator. I am not an artist(e). I always knew I wanted to be around arte but not make art(e) I studied art history and then worked a variety [slew] of art jobs in NYC..."

Q. What is your personal philosophy about about art and artistic creation? What makes an artist and artist?

A. "Courage, conviction, creativity, inspiration and prescience aside, it takes an incredibly strong individual to expect another individual to give time and regard a unique object as significant and worthy of appreciation."

Q. It often seems that many artists are not aware of the business side of art. Do you have any suggestions for an artist who wishes to learn more about the marketing side of the business that is art?

A. "It takes time. I don’t believe in "marketing" art. The masses and history aren’t privy to the wanton rules of ‘marketing". It might also be considered base to think so."

Q. Who are you currently representing? Do you have any exhibits going on at this time?

A. "I currently represent 9 artists Craig Drennen, Gabe Martinez, Jeffrey Gibson, Nicole Cherubini, Rune Olsen, SunTek Chung, Suzannah Sinclair, Taylor Davis and Wardell Milan. They are all in several group exhibitions in museums and galleries scattered around the world at the moment and upcoming. Right now I have a solo exhibition of Rune Olsen’s work. You can find out more at: www.samsonprojects.com

Q. Your gallery represented several artists at SCOPE- New York (2007). Did the exhibit go well for your artists?

A. "At ScopeNYC 2007, Jeffrey Gibson took over the booth. It went well, some sales came of it as well as exhibitions. Jeffrey’s work is anomalous. He’s Cherokee/Choctaw, an Army brat who went to grad school during the YBA exposure at the Royal College in London. He’s currently included in an exhibition at the National Museum of the American Indian (Smithsonian Institute) and is working on a project funded by Creative Capital for a small town in Oklahoma."

Q. What can you tell our readers about the artists you represent?

A. "They are a diverse group: in media, backgrounds, ideas, concepts, etc. I’d like to think they reflect what the world looks like or should look like. I’d like to think they can be the world’s thermometer, compass, mirror, and so on and so forth."

Q. What kind of message do you want the art you exhibit at Samson Projects to have?

A. "There is beauty in diversity...of media, color, ideas..."

Q. Do you have any advice for emerging or established artists who would like to exhibit at your gallery?

A. "Please see Feature Inc’s submission policy..."

Q. What was the most important exhibition you've been involved with? Care to share that experience?

A. "I recently assisted Caroline Jones edit a huge catalog for a two part exhibition, Sensorium, set to travel which started at the MIT List Visual Art Center. That was a catalog....at Exit Art there was an eight curator exhibition I was highly involved which was highly rewarding and crazy complex."

Q. If you could pinpoint the characteristics of people who buy art from Samson Projects, what would they be?

A. "I don’t want to pinpoint the characteristics of people who buy art from Samson Projects. I cant, truthfully...its too early."

Q. As a gallery director, what trends do you see in the 'art world'? What is 'hot' at this moment?

A. ""Hot" is global. The world is getting smaller."

Q. What can you tell our readers about the art scene in your area?

A. "The Boston art scene is small and growing. I think the recent new building for the Institute of Contemporary Art and its shift into a collecting institution will change the face of the Boston art scene...if they do it right."

Q. Do you have a website for your gallery?

A. "www.samsonprojects.com"

Check out the Samson Projects website to find our more about this wonderful gallery.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

Art Space Talk: Jane Fulton Alt

I observed the art of Jane Fulton Alt while attending the Artist Project exhibit in Chicago. Jane was born in Chicago in 1951. Alt attended the University of Michigan (BA, 1973) and the University of Chicago (MA, 1975).

Jane Fulton Alt has exhibited extensively both nationally and internationally. Alt is the recipient of numerous awards and her work can be found in the permanent collections of the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, New Orleans Art Musuem, Beinecke Library at Yale University, University of Illinois Comer Archive, Centro Fotografico Alvarez Bravo in Oaxaca, Mexico, Center for Photography at Woodstock, Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, Wilmette Public Library and the Dancing Bear collection of William Hunt. In addition to photography she is a licensed clinical social worker, with a practice of over 30 years.

Alt’s photographs explore universal issues of humanity, reflecting an interest in the mysteries of life and the non-material world. Her photographs ask us to consider issues of love, loss, and spirituality, which transcend all notions of race, religion and culture.

Q. I observed your work at the Artist Project exhibit in Chicago. How did the exhibit go for you?

A. "It has been lots of work but great fun and great exposure."

Q. ARTropolis has been a great success. Care to reflect on the events and how they have improved Chicago's standing in the 'art world'... I understand that some critics had doubts about the exhibits... what have you heard?

A. "All the planning has really paid off. My impression is that this has been a world class event. Chris Kennedy is doing all that is humanly possible to put Chicago back on the map, including buying out Art Basel and the Armory show in NYC."

Q. Jane, in the last three years you have done several lectures about art. What do you normally discuss at these lectures?

A. "I am interested in the creative process and helping people to more fully express what it is that needs to be expressed. I have also spoken at length about my experience as a relief worker in the lower ninth ward of New Orleans and how I came to photograph there."

Q. You have won several fellowships- Illinois Arts Council Artist Fellowship Award, Ragdale Foundation Fellowship Award... do you have any advice for emerging artist who are seeking fellowships, grants, or other awards?

A. "Just to apply and don't be discouraged if you don't get it. There have been plenty of times that I have been rejected but that is just part of the whole picture."

Q. Let us take a step back- when did you first discover that art would be an important part of your adult life?

A. "I have always been involved with making things. During summers in my college years I took ceramic and welding courses. I was a quilter for a few years but found it took too long to express what I wanted to in working with fabric. As so time freed up, I began taking art classes and happened upon a wonderful photography teacher."

Q. How has society influenced your art? What are the social implications of your art?

A. "I had never been very interested in politics. I did protest in the 60's with the VietNam war but that was about it. I suppose that when you see so much of what you believed in starting to erode, it is difficult to remain silent. I am also a clinical social worker. After 34 years of helping people to live more full lives, you begin to see the big picture of what it means to be alive...what is important. This in addition to my own life experiences of raising a family has greatly influenced my art."

Q. Jane, can you share some of your philosophy about art and artistic creation?

A. "I have a book sitting next to my computer that I have been trying to find time to include in my blog on creativity....so since you asked...

The book is called Sculpting in Time by Andrey Tarkovsky. In chapter 2 the title is ART - A YEARNING FOR THE IDEAL. "the indisputably functional role of art lies in the idea of knowing...In a very real sense every individual experiences this process (self-knowledge) for himself as he comes to know life, himself his aims. Of course each person uses the sum of knowledge of ethical, moral self-knowledge is the only aim in life for each person, and subjectively, it is experienced each time as something new. Again and again man correlates himself with the world, racked with longing to acquire, and become one with, the ideal which lies outside him, which he apprehends as some kind of intuitively sensed first principle. The unattainability of that becoming one, the inadequacy of his own "I", is the perpetual source of man's dissatisfaction and pain. And so art, like science, is a means of assimilating the world, an instrument for knowing it in the course of man's journey towards what is called "absolute truth.""

Q. Has your art ever been published? Where?

A. "The work has been published in numerous places...that is best answered by going to my bio page on my website. www.janefultonalt.com
Q. What was your most important exhibition? Care to share that experience?

A. "It was at the DePaul University Art Museum in 2006 when I showed my Katrina work. It was very well received and was named the top 2006 photography museum exhibit in Chicago that year by New City. It was kind of like a coming out...the work has been continually exhibited since then. 30 images are being included in the 3rd edition of New Orleans, The Making of An Urban Landscape by Peirce Lewis which is to be released in June. "

Q. Do you have any 'studio rituals'? As in, do you listen to certain types of music while working? What helps to get you in the mood for working?

A. "Rituals? not really. I like listening to Kirshna Das, The Dark City Sisters, Classical Music, Jazz. I do love music..."

Q. If you could pinpoint the characteristics of people who collect your art, what would they be?

A. "Very difficult to say..."

Q. Discuss one of your pieces. What were you thinking when you created it?

A. "Matter of the Heart...the first one that pops up...is a self portrait. In my journey to understand this life, I decided I needed to understand death and dying. I managed after great effort to visit a slaughter house in Louisiana. Needless to say, it was a very traumatic experience. I often wonder how many people would still be eating meat if they had to do the killing.

Anyway, the pig heart is the same size as the human heart. This self portrait was created after the visit to the slaughter house and I continued to use the heart as a metaphor for other images."

Q. Why did you choose the medium(s) that you use?

A. "I found that I could most easily access what I needed to express with the camera."

Q.Where can we see more of your art?

A. "You can go to my website www.janefultonalt.com . Iam also exhibiting in various venues which is also on my website under "What's Current"."

Q. Are you represented by a gallery? Do you have any upcoming exhibits?
A. "I am part of the Catherine Edelman Gallery's Chicago Project which is web based. Every 2 years she has a group show and I will have my Mourning Light series exhibited there. The opening is this coming June 8th. I found I have done very well on my own. The internet is really an amazing tool."

Q. What trends have you noticed in the Chicago art scene?

A. "Frankly, I don't really know. It is hard for me to see the big picture. You may have to ask a photo critic for the answer to that!"
Q. What was the toughest point in your career as an artist? Have you ever hit rock-bottom?

A. "Doubting....it is something I think every artist goes thru...It is important to just work. Let the judging go."

Q. Is there anything else you would like to say about your art or the 'art world'?

A. "Art has the amazing capacity to help heal not only the artist but also the viewer. It is an essential component of being human and I am so happy that the Chicago will once again become an important center for the arts."

Jane is a wonderful photographer. I really enjoyed observing her work in person.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

An example of an embedded Gallery

Embedding a myartspace gallery into an html page (for instance, on myspace, your personal website or in and email) can be interesting. The gallery "plays in place" once you click on the arrow to start it up.

Below is an example of a gallery by Marcus Antonius Jansen. Click once if you have Modzilla or Safari browsers to startup the gallery. Click twice if you are using internet explorer.



For more information on this, refer to http://www.myartspace.com/tutorials.

The new "Welcome Page" for members

If you are a member of myartspace, starting next week you will be greeted by a more friendly and informative welcome screen. The intent is to pull together useful information and make it available at your fingertips (or at least the tip of your mouse!) when you enter myartspace. So you can see how many new messages you have, how many invitations you have to join other people's network. You can see you current galleries and network. You can edit your profile, attach music or video to your galleries or even send out an email to dozens of friends pointing them to your myartspace profile page and all your galleries. This is part of a long-term ongoing effort at making myartspace a more friendly, more productive site for you to be on.




That's all for now.

Is Your Studio Safe?

(This is what the interior of Francis Bacon's studio looked like. WOW)

Unsafe studio practice can be a major problem for artists. These unsafe practices can lead to a shorter life span due to health problems associated with some of the materials artists use on a daily basis. An artist can't create art very well if his or her nervous system is destroyed from years of exposure to toxic materials and it is even harder to create if he or she is dead, right? Consider the fact that those around us can also be harmed by the materials we use daily and you will find that the issue of studio safety is of great importance.

Unsafe studio practices occur for several reasons. For example, many students pay big bucks for formal training in art, but often learn very little about studio safety as it is rarely mentioned (based on the students I've discussed this issue with). Self-taught artists are at a greater risk because they may not have access to resources that college students may have. This results in thousands of artists creating wonderful works of art in hazardous conditions.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to point fingers or play the 'blame game'. In other words, the schools are not the blame nor are the companies that produce art materials. It is on our shoulders to find out about the materials we use and how they may harm us (and others) if used in an unsafe manner.

I'm not suggesting that an artist should wear a gasmask, Kevlar body Armor, and other protective gear while working in his or her studio (though that would be interesting). I simply advise that each and every artist learn more about the materials they use and what to look out for if changes in health occur. You don't have to go crazy with protection in order to work safely.

A ton of information about studio and material safety can be obtained from the Arts, Crafts & Theater Safety (ACTS) website (www.artscraftstheatersafety.org).

ACTS provides a worldwide free information service by phone, mail, and e-mail providing: professional safety and industrial hygiene advice; copies of educational materials; referrals to doctors and other sources of help. ACTS publishes short data sheets (from 1 to 10 pages) on over 60 different technical subjects related to health and safety in art and theater. They will mail single copies of data sheets free to those providing a postal address.

Ways to contact ACTS:

Email: ACTSNYC@cs.com
Phone: (212) 777-0062
Mail: ACTS 181 Thompson St., #23n New York, NY 10012

Art Space Talk: Georgina Starr

I recently interviewed artist Georgina Starr. Georgina has been exhibiting large-scale film and video installations both in the UK and internationally for the past 12 years. Her diverse body of work has incorporated video, film, animation, photography, music, writing and performance. Georgina lives and works in London.

Some of the key themes of Starr's work - from Hypnodreamdruff (1996) a 6 screen multimedia work about the intertwining lives of a group of lonely eccentric characters, to Big V (2004) a four screen work about teenage sexuality and Catholicism - explore the relationship between history and memory; attempting to extract meaning from collapsing realities, she makes complex and obsessive investigations into invisible, lost or fragile phenomena.

A chance meeting with an eccentric octogenarian film fan introduced Starr to the world of silent screen legend Theda Bara. Once the biggest silent movie star in the world, Bara appeared in over forty films, of which only two still exist today. Through extensive research into the art of Bara and other neglected silent stars, Starr has reconstructed key scenes from the lost films, with both herself and the film fan taking on the role of Theda.

The work looks at the vicarious nature of the cinematic experience and explores the silent film form through image and live sound. Experimenting with performance styles and narrative techniques Starr considers the movie screen as a mirror and how we use film fiction to explore and escape our own identity. The images in this interview are from THEDA.

Georgina's works have been exhibited at Museum of Modern Art, New York; Venice Biennale; Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney; Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, Walker Art Centre, Minneapolis and Kunsthalle Wien. Solo exhibitions include Tate Gallery, London; Ikon Gallery, Birmingham; Kunsthalle Zurich; Rooseum Centre for Contemporary Art, Malmo and the Stedelijk Museum Bureau, Amsterdam.

Q. Georgina, you are associated with the YBAs. What do you think of that term? Do you like being grouped in the same category as Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin, and others known as YBAs? Or is the term just something that you all consider a label- nothing more?

A. "It’s just a label, which I suspect wasn’t invented by an artist."

Q. Your latest work, THEDA, is currently being exhibited at the nca/nichido Contemporary Art in Tokyo as part of your first solo exhibition in Japan. How has the exhibit gone so far? Can you go into detail about THEDA?

A. "It’s the first time I’ve shown THEDA as an installation. For it’s first outing THEDA was shown as a single screen cinema piece with live accompaniment, so the two are really different.

Theda Bara was a huge silent movie star who had made about 40 films over a short period, but only a couple had survived. Initially I was interested in trying to resurrect a neglected artist and her lost films. I dug up every possible thing I could about her and her films; the characters she played, the scripts and stories, her acting style, her props, costumes and make-up, and then began remaking lots of the sets and costumes. At the same time I discovered other female performers from that era, some even more fascinating than Bara, people like Alla Nazimova, Maud Allan, Musidora and Barbara La Marr and they all filtered into the project.

Last Spring I began filming myself in the studio and 6 months later I resurfaced. The result is THEDA.The finished work is less about Theda Bara and more about the idea of performing and performance, or how we all perform through expression and gesture. By using the silent performers as a sort of model I was forcing myself to try communicate without using the written or spoken language.

The musical element became a really important part too. In the cinema version in London I had a 17 piece improvising orchestra (The London Improvisers Orchestra) responding live to the film. It was the first time they’d seen the film. I wanted to try get a very immediate audio response to my on screen performance, which reflects how musical accompaniment was used in very early cinema."

Q. You often work with found and collected objects to make autobiographical installations. These installations have been exhibited widely in group and solo shows, including the Tate Gallery, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Venice Biennale- why did you decide to make your work so personal? Do you feel as if you are offering yourself when your work is viewed by others? How do you emotionally prepare for an exhibit?

A. "My work starts from a personal place, but the work isn’t ‘personal’. It’s for everyone. I’m not just repeating something that happened to me in a diaristic or autobiographical way. If it does start from a personal place it always evolves and changes into something completely new. There is a line between myself and the person on the screen."

Q. Georgina, do you have any 'studio rituals'? As in, do you listen to certain types of music while working? What helps to get you in the mood for working?

A. "No rituals really. The internet has really changed the way I work. I used to spend loads of time in libraries, digging up archives, tracking people down, or searching out things in stores and markets. I hardly ever need to leave the studio now. The only slightly ritualistic thing is that I’m constantly dreaming up ways of doing things where I won’t need to use other people. I really like working alone and hate having people around when I work, so if there’s a way to avoid it I’ll find it."

Q. You have been quoted- by the artist Momus- as having said, "paranoia is a magical state of mind". Can you go into further detail about this statement and how paranoia is reflected in your work?

A. "Paranoid? Who said I was paranoid?"

Q. What was the toughest point in your career as an artist? Have you ever hit rock-bottom?

A. "If I thought of being an artist as a career then I’d hit rock-bottom."

Q. Can you share some of your philosophy about art and artistic creation?

A. "It’s all in my work."

Q. What are you currently working on? Can you reveal any of your plans for the future?

A. "Top secret."

Q.Finally, where can we see more of your art? Do you have a website?

A. "THEDA is on show at nca/nichido contemporary art in Tokyo from now until the end of May 2007. www.nca-g.com

You can see THEDA performed with live accompaniment this year at ;
Art Film at Art Basel, Stadtkino Basel on 13th June 2007, Artprojx at Greenland Street, Liverpool on 7th July 2007, Tracy Williams Gallery, New York, September 2007. My website is : www.georginastarr.com"

I hope that you have enjoyed my interview with Georgina Starr. I'd like to personally thank Georgina for taking the time to answer by questions.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

Art Space Talk: Kate Jackson

I recently interviewed artist Kate Jackson. Kate is a self-taught artist who creates work that comes out of personal experiences as well as social influences. She draw inspiration from interacting with personal friends, family and social groups. Some of the work comes directly out of her observations of the social interaction between other people.

When she was 15, Kate began assembling collages from images and photo’s she found around the house. She then began painting on wood panels and then onto canvas. Recently, she has been drawing on enlarged family photos. Kate’s medium is primarily mixed, using acrylic, oil, watercolor pencils and ink.

When Kate paints, she is in a meditative state of mind and picks up on everything that she has ever experienced in life and with that, there are in fact parts of her in every painting. Kate strives to create an emotional impact with her work- one that engages the viewer.

Q. Kate, I understand that you are a self-taught artist. Have you had any formal training in art? Do you have any suggestions for artists who wish to educate themselves rather than enter a school of art?

A. "No I haven't had any formal training. I suggest to other artists who wish to self educate to execute ideas with other artists, and to not let people tell you that you have to go to a school of art in order to be an artist. That's rubbish. Keep doing what you're doing and you'll get there."

Q. You have stated that you are influenced by Twombly, Basquiat, Warhol, Picasso, and your father.... can you describe how each have inspired you?

A. "First my Father because he surrounded us by art growing up and still to this day. It was inevitable that I fall into art. And I can't see myself doing anything else. Twombly for his free flowing hand on the canvas. I think all art should have a feeling of flowing. Jean-Michel because he broke the boundaries on what is considered art. The child like expression. Free flowing once again. Warhol told the world everything is art. Art is all around us. He created a new level of art. Picasso because he is Picasso. Everyone takes a little I think from him."

Q. I've read that your life experiences play a dominant role in every work of art that you create. When you begin to paint or draw, the images evolve from those experiences. Can you share some of the experience that have influenced your work the most? Do you reflect upon the experiences of others within the context of your art?

A. "Some experiences that have influenced and fueled my work the most is being a survivor of abuse, which I think gives me the drive to finish a piece of art. Not giving up. Growing up in a household with creative people. Yes I do reflect on what people around the world are going through. Hunger, disease, war, abuse, and the fact that a lot of these things are engulfed in denial or not paid attention to enough. I hope I can paint a picture and make people reflect on these issues."

Q. Kate, can you share some of your philosophy about art and artistic creation?

A. "Art is in us all and all around us. People are just the brush that the feeling of art comes out of, on to something solid. I might have an idea of a painting before I start a piece, but it always turns out to something different yet the feeling of what I was trying to depict is always there. So I don't think about it too much when painting, I just let it evolve into what it was supposed to be since the beginning."

Q. Your medium is primarily mixed, using acrylic, oil, watercolor pencils and ink. Have you ever thought of trying new ways of expressing yourself? For example, creating digital art or working with clay? Do you think it is wise for an artist to focus on certain mediums?

A. "I dabble a bit in digital art and have made short films. I would like to get into that a bit more. I think it's wise for an artist to not focus on just one or two mediums, but all mediums of art. I think it keeps the artist rounded and keeps them from getting bored or lose track of their voice. It's like keeping a car running, you can't just put gas in it, you have to check the oil, spark plugs, everything to keep that car running. So yes I think it's all relevant to staying on top of one's art."

Q. In your youth you began to assemble collages from images and photo's that you found around your house. How did these early experiences with artistic creation influence your later work?

A. "My early experiences of assembling collages influenced my later work because it taught me that each painting is a puzzle. One has to look at it in that way I think. It has to have balance and be complete. I work with transferring old negatives on the canvas as well and that always brings me back to making collages as a child. I guess I've always liked the struggle to make something whole."

Q. In 2004 you exhibited at the New York International Art Festival. You were chosen as Grand Jury Award Winner. Can you recall that experience? How did you feel?

A. "The experience was great. There were many different mediums at this festival, so to be chosen as the grand jury award winner I don't know is quite right. Maybe if there were awards for each medium, might have been more appropriate. But I did feel a sense of accomplishment for being acknowledged."

Q. You've exhibited at some popular art galleries- such as The Hive Gallery in Los Angeles. Can you single out the best exhibition you've ever had? Why was that exhibition such a good experience for you?

A. "I can't single out a "best" exhibition I've ever had simply because to get the opportunity to display my work is what it's about. To get at least one stranger or passer by to view what my soul is saying is the best."

Q. You have worked on several television shows and movies: "Rules of Engagement" Television Series, CBS, "Medium" Television Series, NBC, "The War At Home" Television Series, on Fox, "Worst Week Of My Life" Television Pilot, "How I Met Your Mother" Television Series, on CBS, "Tom Hertz Project" Television Pilot, "Bothers Solomon" Movie, "Raines" Television Series, NBC, "Hannah Montana" Television Series, Disney... how do you utilize your artistic nature when working on productions like these? Do you find balance between the jobs and your personal work?

A. "Well I haven't changed the style of my work for jobs of set dressings, so yes there is balance between these jobs and my personal work. Except red doesn't pick up very well on screen. ;)"

Q. Do you have any 'studio rituals'? As in, do you listen to certain types of music while working? What helps to get you in the mood for working?

A. "Wake up, make my coffee, have my smoke, look through some art books, magazines, look at what I was working on the day before, if not finished, put on an album that I was listening to the day before to keep the same feeling. I like to listen to Euro, Indie, Claude Challe quite a bit, Bob Dylan, P.J. Harvey, Radiohead, Tricky, a bit of Soundtracks.....What helps me to get in the mood for working, the music."

Q.Where can we see more of your art?

"I recently showed at Bluebird Art House, Which will be up till May 5th. And of course my web-site www.katejackson711.com "

Q. What was the toughest point in your career as an artist? Have you ever hit rock-bottom?

A. "I think every artist has rock bottoms when finding the flow of creating a painting isn't there. But you can't fight it or force it, it has to come naturally. That's the toughest point. Also finding representation."

Q. Finally, is there anything else you would like to say about your art or the 'art world'?

A. "Art is a beautiful thing. Whether it be music, painting, film, the art of conversation, cooking, laughing, smiling at a stranger... it's in our nature it's who and what we all are. Art is a universal language. It's a beautiful thing."

I hope that you have enjoyed my interview with Kate Jackson. Feel free to critique or discuss her work.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin